


Everything Stays [Right Where You left It]

by Karu_Ambrogio



Series: And The Universe Said [I Love You] [1]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: A veritable time pretzel if you will, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Wolf Rose Tyler, F/M, It's Not The Eighth Doctor who has amnesia either-Surprisingly, OCs are for the background characters, THIS IS DOCTOR/ROSE and Canon Divergent, Temporary Amnesia, The Ending is a bit sad, This is mostly just for me but if you want to read it go ahead, Time Loop, Time Loops on Time Loops, Time Lord Rose Tyler, Time Lords Are the worst, Time Lords and Ladies, just bear with me here, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-13 05:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 39,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20577386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karu_Ambrogio/pseuds/Karu_Ambrogio
Summary: She was stuck on Kry-Stal hiding from the Time Lords until she could fashion a working transport for herself, all she wanted to do was get back to Earth, to her first home, to her very human Mother, to her life before Gallifrey.But when a renegade Time Lord named The Doctor finds her, he might just wind up leading her back where she really belongs.





	1. Kry-Stal

**Author's Note:**

> My brain apparently time warped to 2013 and spat this out. 
> 
> It's just over 39k I know because It's finished.
> 
> I'm really nervous about posting this because it's my longest fic ever and it's for a fandom I'm not even properly in anymore, but it's mostly jsut for me so if you wanna read it go for it but it's all finished so there's really nothing to be done if it's awful.
> 
> summary is subject to change since I didn't actually think that part through when I was writing this lmao.  
I usually do.
> 
> EDIT:  
I forgot to say that the title is from "Everything Stays" Written By Rebecca Sugar and Performed By Olivia Olson

There would never be such a thing as a normal life for her.

That was the first thing she realized when she had hidden herself away on that TARDIS that the CIA had sent on an observatory visit to 40th century Kry-Stal.

She couldn't steal a TARDIS, the only ones she would have access to were still in the Nursery. Besides those there were the museum pieces, but they had been kept under tight security now compared to how it was only centuries ago.

It didn't matter anymore, she was on Kry-Stal and that was where she would be until she could build herself a vortex manipulator, which was much easier said than done in the 40th Century.

Her choices had been here or 13th Century Golvin. The Fact was that 40th Century Kry-Stal was a lot closer temporally to the time agency so that was the trip she stowed away on.

It had been 12 years since then, and she was confident that as long as she kept her head down the Time Lords would not find her.

"Jya-Qi!" a sweet and feminine voice pulled her from her reading material, a book on non-combustible fusion.

Looking up she found a pair of familiar bright gold eyes in a round and dark skinned face. The young woman wore a pair of loose fitting linen pants and a tunic that was tied by a belt like ribbon at her waist.

"Shi-yi! Finished your rounds already?" Jya-Qi gave a bright smiled at her employee. Shi-Yi was a member of the kitchen staff of her rather quaint hole in the wall of a bakery. The younger woman spent her mornings delivering orders to their regulars, mostly the daily supply of bread and the like.

Shi-Yi nodded happily as she crossed the thresh hold of the small shop, dragging the delivery wagon across the red terracotta flooring.

"You've gotten lost in your books again!" The younger woman laughed, then dug through the pockets of her work apron, "Li-tan wanted more sweet twists in next week's delivery, apparently she'd getting company from the city."

The Delivery woman wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and placed the new order sheet on the glass top of Jya-Qui's display counter. Just next to the money box.

Jya-Qi closed her book with an air finality, the morning was over and that meant business would pick up soon. In a few minutes Hoon would begin stocking the displays with the lunch rush's savory meat rolls and she's bee swamped at the money box.

"Well I'll tell Hoon," She took the new order sheet and surveyed it, "I'm sure he'll be glad to accommodate her."

Shi-Yi dragged her wagon behind the cream colored counter and slid it into it's place within a small cubby hole before running off to the kitchen to help Hoon.

Jya-Qi began opening the back end of the currently empty displays and within a few minutes Hoon and Shi-Yi were carrying flats of meat breads out.

The three got to work placing the food in their proper places and once that was finished, Jya-Qi pulled up her metal stool in order to be closer to the register and waited.

Hoon and Shi-Yi went back to work in the kitchen when slowly, but surely several customers filtered in. Filling creme colored walls of her bakery with chatter. The few tables that were available filled and emptied what seemed like a thousand times and the Meat Breads were in constant need of restocking.

The trio kept up the pace and maintained the ebb and flow of business. Jya-Qi had been at this for 10 years, she was good at it. Even if it bored her to death.

After a steady 4 hours, the midday rush trickled down until the table turnover was much easier to manage.

Business was decent, it was enough to run itself, pay Hoon and Shi-Yi a thriving wage as well as pay for spare bits and bobs Jya-Qi may find useful the stalls of the city's greater markets.

When the last customers of the day filtered out, Jya-Qi ushered Shi-Yi into the dusty path outside, "Alright, I don't want to see you until 1st day. Hoon and I are going into the city again so you'll be free to rest a bit."

"Again?" Shi-Yi frowned, "You two go into Fio almost every other week! I know you like tinkering and the like but isn't that a bit much? Going out buying junk from the markets so often can't be good for your savings."

Jya-Qi couldn't help but laugh at the rather blunt question, but Shi-Yi was young, about the earth equivalent of 19. It was to be expected.

"You forget!" Jya-Qui smiled, "He and I are trying to get out of here."

Shi-Yi frowned but nodded, Kry-Stal had inter planetary trade, and she knew that there were other planets out there different ground for your feet to tread, "Do you have to go? I'll miss you and I don't know If I'll find another job that's half as good as this."

"It's not happening right now." Jya-Qui assured, "It will probably be a few more years before we have enough parts for a ship. Besides I'm not just running away for fun."

Hopefully by then Shi-Yi would be old enough to take over the little bakery in the small Village of Kyin.

They said their goodbyes and Jya-Qi locked the doors to the bakery before wandering into the back of the shop and into the kitchen to find Hoon setting up to wash the assortment of baking tools from the day.

His radio was playing some new style of music that Jya-Qi's mind told her was called 'Miyano'. The was the singer's first single but they would go on to be Kry-Stal's biggest sensation. Their music would last until well beyond the collapse of Kry-Stal's civilization.

"The oven's cooled?" Jya-Qui asked as she grabbed a cleaning bucket and began filling it with water and cleaner.

"Ready for you." Hoon nodded and continued his task. Thus she got to work with a scrubber and began cleaning out the three large ovens that lined the back of her kitchen.

They worked quietly as the radio played and kept them on task.

"My ship's distress signal is almost dead." Hoon spoke suddenly. Jya-Qi kept scrubbing though, the air had shifted when he had stopped cleaning. He was no doubt looking her way.

"We'll get you a new power circuit when we go to Fio." She mused, dipped her brush in her cleaning mix and continued on with her scrubbing.

Hoon did not move, "The last time we went we couldn't find any." He shifted again, probably crossing his arms.

"Well last time you still had a good few Blocks," She kept scrubbing her stove as she began to explain, "I can get an alternative power source and adapt it if I need to."

Now that the oven was clean she pulled her self away and turned to look at him. She was right, his arms were crossed and he didn't look impressed, "You said that I needed the same type of Power Circuit."

"No." She sighed, "I said it wasn't a good idea to use anything but the same type of power circuit."

He frowned and she dropped her brush into the bucket.

His timelines swirled around him like little golden motes searching out a sunbeam. Hoon's potential swayed and bobbed oddly. Kry-Stal was not his home world and he was out of time. So it was no surprise that his timelines swirled a bit more than normal.

"But we don't want that signal to go out, so we'll have to make due." Jya-Qi gave a reassuring smile, "Your people will find you eventually as long as we keep it going."

"And your people?" Hoon asked, relaxing, "The Fossferans believe a species is one big family, are your people looking for you too?"

"That's complicated," Jya-Qi was no longer reassuring but wistful.

Her people.

Who did she really belong to?

Her life before Gallifrey had been far more boring and monotonous than the life she had here, but Gallifrey wasn't where she was born. Even if sometimes she couldn't help but love some of the Time Lords and Ladys.

It was all tainted by how she had gotten there and then by how she had been treated.

But she had spent almost 400 years living on the Shinning Planet of the Seven Systems and she was a Time Lady, she had been given plenty of freedom near the end but it was never enough.

Were they looking for her? They had to be.

Were they her people? She couldn't say.

Hoon seemed to want to ask, he always did, but she wouldn't tell. He was Fossferan and was only a temporary companion. The only reason she had disclosed her own Alien nature was so that he would allow her to help.

Kry-Stal was a level 8 planet and Fossfer in his time was on the cusp of becoming Level 10. He had crashed here in a time travel test from about 400 years in the future.

Tests pilots like Hoon were normally rescued either by Time Agents or by their own people once they got time travel right.

So of course he didn't want to ask for help from any of the Natives, he was cautious and scared, but Jya-Qui was more than capable and willing to help when someone was in need.

His ship would never travel again but his beacon was all he needed until help came. Or until Jya-Qi finished her vortex manipulator and took him back where he belonged herself.

She decided not to answer the question at all, "After we're done here I'll get a bit of a supply list to gather for our trip."

"Right."

Her studio that she kept above the shop was small but cozy, and filled with light as she puttered around quietly working on plans for Hoon's power circuit.

She had slept 4 hours the night before and wouldn't need any more sleep for another day or so. Thus Jya-Qi had spent the evening by lamps etching out plans for a cobbled together solution to the power circuit's issue.

Hoon had been on Kry-Stal only 8 months, due to his black skin he hardly stood out. The only way you could really tell that he was from off world was his lack of almost gem like irises. His eyes were coal black as if the pupil had over taken the entire iris.

The technology of Fossfer wasn't exactly elegant compared with the things Jya-Qi had learned with, but it was still solid and adaptable. So the plans weren't too complicated. She only needed to run the numbers to ensure that the slapped together adapter would work.

After all, this was Kry-Stalos tech, and they were 30 thousand years from contact with Fossferan and making their technology compatible with one another.

Nimbly she lowered the light of her lamp through the morning until finally sun filled the natural wood room and her sharp ears could pick up the sounds of Hoon in the basement going through his morning routine.

Changing into the traditional garb of Kry-Stal, she dawned a red tunic and orange linen pants, her ribbon like belt was also orange and she rolled up her shopping list and stuck it into her brown leather boots before pulling her hair up into a tight bun with a thin orange ribbon.

Grabbing her small pouch like purse, Jya-Qi slung it over her shoulder and practically waltzed down the stairs.

Hoon was just coming up out of the basement as she reached the landing, he too was wearing traditional garb, only his was faded purple and grey.

"First shuttle leaves in 3 cycles so I'll treat you to some breakfast." Jya-Qi smiled and opened the door to the shop, Hoon followed her out and she locked the door.

"Kry-Stal breakfast isn't exactly the most appetizing thing..." Hoon frowned thoughtfully, "But if you find a place that serves midday food this early I'll take that offer."

With a nod Jya-Qi began her journey through the dusty roads, "I know just the place for your Fossferan stomach Hoon!"

The streets were lined with shops and it reminded her of the old Aztec mega cities that once abounded through the lush lands of mesoamercia. The people of Kry-Stal build with mud bricks and wood, they refused to bend nature so conformed to it.

Their villages and cities rolled with the hills and canyons of their beautifully diverse planets. The larger cities like Kio, where they would be headed after breakfast, were built in plains and one was even built into the sides of a canyon.

It was a beautiful planet, and Jya-Qi admitted to herself on the best of days that there was worse places to be stuck.

She guided Hoon through the sleeping village of Kyin, it was after all too early for most of them to be up and about, but there were still places to get a decent meal.

Strolling up to a mud brick building that was formed like a dome with windows scaling up the sides culminating to the top of the dome that possessed a skylight, Jya-Qi pressed her hand against the wooden door of the building and motion for Hoon to follow.

"Welcome to He-Lio's!" a rather perky waiter called to them from his place at the money box, "How many?"

"Just us two." Jya-Qi smiled and Hoon followed as the waiter sat them down for their breakfast.

He-Lio's served lunch and dinner all day so the sickly sweet fruits of Kry-Stal's usual breakfast wasn't mandatory for them to eat.

To Jya-Qi, while they contained nutrients enough, eating them was akin to eating candies for breakfast. For Hoon however, it contained no nutrition that a Fossferan would need to get through the morning. Kry-Stal lunches however were far more suitable for his species.

So they ordered and ate and Jya-Qu handed the shopping list to Hoon.

"You have your route mapped out then Hoon?" Jya-Qi couldn't hep but ask as she took a bite of a potato like vegetable. Hoon was pragmatic and logical. He was the type to map out a route through the shops of Kio and stick strictly to that route for the day.

She was wiling to accommodate his disposition, even if she preferred to roam and enjoy the scenery, this wasn't a sightseeing mission.

"Accounting for lunch," Hoon replied, eyeing the list, "I believe we can get through the right shops for these and have time for a trip back to the shop before dinner."

"Good." Jya-Qi smiled, "If we find what we need I'll be able to work on it tonight."

"I heard you last night." Hoon rolled the list back up and handed it back to Jya-Qi for her to shove it back into it's place in her boot, "Don't you ever sleep?"

She smiled at the curiosity in his voice, it was coated in either worry or disapproval.

"My species requires at most 8 hours of sleep a week." Jya-Qi explained, "And I can even spread it out. I've just slept a few hours recently so I won't need it again anytime soon."

It was a plus really.

Even if she missed the 8 hours a night she used to need, the luxury of it all at least.

Hoon eye her suspiciously but didn't ask. He never asked the important questions. Jya-Qi couldn't help but think he was afraid of the answers.

Part of her was glad for it, because she wasn't sure where she would even begin or if she even could.

The two finished their food and made their way to the shuttle station, in no time they had two tickets to Kio.

Kio was only an hour from Kyin and was a bustling hub of culture and goods, there was several open air markets for foods, technology and the arts.

Jya-Qi's shop got it's supplies from Kio delivered every week, if the orders were smaller she'd get them herself, but having to ride the shuttle due to her lack of transport was what forced her to have supplies delivered.

But this trip was different, the parts she needed for both Hoon's beacon and her vortex manipulator were something she needed to haggle for. Parts didn't come cheap and if they did they sold fast.

She felt the minutes slide past as they pulled into Kio's shuttle port, Hoon was already getting shifty from having to sit for more than a he preffered so when it came time to depart they bounded out of the shuttle.

Of course they would need to take it back but that would be after hours of walking through the markets.

Hoon, having planned the most efficient route in his head, led the way through the market.

First they stopped for the most important piece, the energy core. Fossferan's energy circuits were special crystals charged on their home world but the energy was geo-thermal and they charged them in plants specially equipped for the task.

They squeezed trough the crowded market and found their regular haunt of 'Musino', a shop dedicated to mechanical repairs and restored parts.

The tent was large and almost as busy as the streets outside of it, Hoon began shifting through buckets of odds and ends while Jya-Qi made her way up to the money box.

"Sa-yi?" She gently called in an attempt to get the Kry-Stalos' woman's attention.

Sa-Yi was tall and in the possession of brown colored skin, her eyes shone like sardonyx as she whipped around, her focus on some sort of combustion chamber shifted to Jya-Qi, "AH! It's the milk skinned Mechanic!"

She meant no offense but Jya-Qi was one of the few pale skinned inhabitants of Kry-Stal. Most of the resident species were in the possession of skin that was dark red to burnt amber, or even brown to dark as the night.

It did not help that her hair was honey gold, instead of black or brown, even and auburn would have done.

There was no doubt to the people of Kry-Stal she was an Alien, but she was kind and knew her place on their planet.

Kry-Stalos' people traded with three different planets and Jya-Qin resembled their allies on Moonis for them to simply let her be.

"I have some coin burning a hole in my pocket Sa-Yi and I'm hoping you can help." Jya-Qi smiled and put out a hand to shake.

Sa-Yi laughed jovially and grabbed her hand only to pull her into a giant hug. When Sa-Yi pulled away she asked, "Well then! Tell me what you need Mechanic and I will tell you what has come in."

"A power core." Jya-Qi refused to beat around the bush, "Something that can fuel a signal and can be manually recharged or easily replaced."

Sa-Yi made a noise in thought and shifted through her mental inventory before breaking out into a grin, "I may have what you need! A Moonisian scrapper recently sold at the Auction house, I got a good chunk of it's engine chamber if you feel like digging through it's guts."

Ther was promise there so Jya-Qi turned slightly and called out, "Hoon! If you want to go ahead we can meet for lunch.

"Sa-Yi has a ship i can dig through for parts."

Hoon turned his attention to her and frowned but only sighed, "I might as well stay here, there's no telling how much you'll be able to get from her."

"It's only and engine chamber." Jya-Qi shook her head and pulled out her list from her boot. Glancing at it she crossed off a few parts that she may be able to find in a Moonisian engine chamber and then handed it to Hoon, "Get what you can that's left, we can meet at the Station in a few cycles."

"Eight." Hoon stated evenly, a tone that Jya-Qi refused to argue with. He was after all very schedule driven.

"Eight Cycles." She smiled, "We'll meet at the kiosk."

With that he took the list and made his way out of Sa-Yi's tent. Jya-Qi happily turned back, "Looks like I'll be digging through that ship."


	2. Kry-Stal: Lost And Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how often I'll update this, maybe I'll even post chapter 3 this evening.
> 
> I just want to get this whole thing up really....

Goggles firmly on place over her eyes and sleeves rolled up, Jya-Qi was waist deep in a hollowed out Moonisian ship.

When Sa-Yi had said that she had purchased an engine chamber she had failed to clarify that the engine chamber was still attached to the hollowed out skeleton of the ship.

She was no where near the tent that she had entered to haggle, no, Sa-Yi had escorted her in a hopper to her scrap yard. It was a place that Jya-Qi hadn't been in couple years, it was mechanical guts as far as the eye could see in a pit just outside of the city.

Sa-Yi not only ran her shop, but she recycled any parts deemed to useless to restore and sold the raw metal to shipyards in heated stasis barrels.

It was lucrative and useful to keep the metal in circulation, it also kept needless mining projects from beginning on their planets surface.

"You think you can quarter it for me?" Sa-Yi asked as Jya-Qi sawed off a bit of the engine block with a laser cutter.

"How much will it knock off the price?"

"If you quarter the whole skeleton It'll get you 50%" Sa-Yi bargained and so Jya-Qi considered it.

It would take a few hourse but she would still be able to get to the Kiosk to meet Hoon in time. Jya-Qi's eyes landed on Sa-Yi, the Kry-Stalos' timelines swirled and lay steady.

She was good for it.

"You've got a deal." Jya-Qi gave a bright smile, her enthusiasm was genuine, it was always nice to get a discount and she was never above getting her hands dirty. Her Mum taught her better than that.

Sa-Yi gave a laugh, "Excellent! You know if you ever get tired of working in that tiny village making bread, I'd be happy to offer you a job here in the chop shop."

"Bread pays my bills and it's all I need for now." Jya-Qi replied, and it was true. She didn't need to make a career here. No, she had a completely different goal.

And once that goal was fulfilled she'd touch the stars.

When she was a child she had wanted to see the world, but the world she was born on wasn't all there was anymore. There were a million billion planets in her head that she'd only ever read about and she was a Time lady! She would live long enough to touch every star, and see every thing there was to see!

The wonder of it! The majesty!

She'd never been able to sit still, not when she was a child, not ever.

Sa-Yi made a noise of disapproval, "You're hands are like a god's! They're meant for machines, Mechanic."

She emphasized the nickname and Jya-Qi continued her work as she rolled her eyes, "I was meant for the stars."

"I suppose I can see you working on a freighter." Sa-Yi condescended to agreed, "But I offer something higher up! You'd have to climb the ladder of command on a freighter and you're not exactly young."

She would think that, Kry-Stal really only used space travel for trade. They weren't advanced enough to reach anything beyond their star system.

As for not being young, Jya-Qi wanted to laugh. She was only 350, barely firm in adulthood. Sure, she appeared to be in her 30's but she was 150 years into her second body, that was expected.

"I'm not exactly old either." Jya-Qi smiled as she gently reached into the engine chamber and cleared away several wires to reveal the power cell that had once fueled the scrapper which was now scrap.

She reached into the guts of the ship and gently wrapped her fingers around the cell, then plucked it as if it was a particularly ripe fruit. Bringing it up to her goggle covered eyes she felt a wave of happiness.

This would do nicely! It was rechargeable with electricity too. She felt a too big smile spread across her face, "Besides, like I said, Bread pays the bills! It's all I need for now."

It took exactly 6 hours to finish tearing the ship apart for Sa-Yi, but that was only because Jya-Qi was also digging through the parts to see if it was anything she would need.

When she was done with that, Jya-Qi payed a rather meager sum for several pieces of hardware that she had been in need of for Hoon's beacon. Thankfully Sa-Yin was willing to give her a sturdy satchel for her bounty so that she wouldn't have to juggle it all on the shuttle back to Kin.

Breezily she made her way through Kio and kept her eyes on the shuttle station. Once she was close she began scanning the crowds for Hoon, whom she found almost instantly in the buzzing crowds.

His timelines were an anomaly and easy to pick out.

Lifting an arm she waved to get his attention, quick enough he hailed her in return as she reached him.

"How much of the list did you get?" She smiled happily, "I got everything I crossed out thankfully!"

"About half," Hoon frowned a bit disappointed but handed her the list nonetheless.

Jya-Qi took it and scanned for the items that were left unpurchased, "Well that's fine! It's all for my project, the Beacon was more important today and we've got what I need for that."

Hoon suddenly looked optimistic at that statement. Good.

"C'mon!" She led the way into the shuttle station, "I've been tearing apart a ship and I could do with a sit down."

Hoon shook his head and sighed in exasperation as he followed her, "I don't get how you can just not sleep tonight after such a long day."

Jya-Qi just laughed, he'd never understand in the way she couldn't understand it before. That was OK, it made all kinds to make a universe after all!

If they were all wired the same it would be rather boring, it was funny though. They were all made of stardust and light, and yet they were all configured so differently.

Life! Life was the thing that linked them all to the greater universe, really they were all the same and connected. All one big family that were connected without even knowing.

Perhaps that was why they all eventually looked to the Stars and asked if there was anymore the universe than their planet. Maybe part of every species longed to be reunited to the rest of the cosmos from which they came.

The ride back to Kyin was quiet as well as their dinner. There was an undercurrent of excitement in Hoon, perhaps it was the hope that knowing his beacon was renewable brought.

Perhaps it was the fact that he wouldn't have to sleep in the basement so that she could work on his ship.

Whatever it was it had him practically hopping up the stairs to her studio when the arrived back at the shop. He had happily loaded Jya-Qi down with his purchases and announced he would be sleeping until afternoon the next day.

Which was fine, Jya-Qi would need time to build the adapter for the Moonasian power cell then it would be a bit for her to rig it up for a constant charge.

So she crept down stairs to the basement where the baking supplies were stored, barrels of flower and lockers of meat, fruit fillings, and other various ingredients were kept fresh as could be.

In the very back of the rather large storage space was Hoon's ship, well it was closer to a pod really. It was a one man craft meant for a quick test trip through time and space.

His Beacon was protruding out of the back of the pod, it had been collapsed into the read but Hoon had pulled it out for broadcast.

There were a few other cobbled together machines attached to it, Jya-Qi had taken whatever bits and bobs she'd had at the time and built Hoon a signal booster in hopes to help.

First, She pulled a wooden table into the center of the room and then began to lay out every part they had purchase during their day in Kio. After mentally confirming their haul, Jya-Qi opened a wooden crate that contained all the other parts she'd purchased over her years on Kry-Stal.

Easily sorting through them she grabbed only three spare bits and put them with the rest of what she hoped would soon be a functioning power adapter.

Jya-Qi closed her eyes and took a steadying breathe, she'd pay everything she had for a sonic device right about now. It would cut work time in half and make sure the seals were solid.

But she didn't have sonic technology, so she'd have to settle with her Kry-Stalos tool kit that she pulled from it's place by her crate of spare parts.

Pulling out her etchings she placed the papers on the crate and got to work.

Nearly 1 cycle into her work the sound of Hoon becoming still reached her ears and she took note that her friend was now asleep.

Time slipped by as she slowly but surely cobbled together the rather crude and inelegant technology into something that could be useful.

She was constructing the power port when it happened.

There was a noise in the shop.

Normally she would think it was Hoon, but he was still upstairs, Jya-Qi had not heard him creep down. But she had heard the sound of her shop's door opening.

Slowly she placed her work onto the table and grabbed her laser cutter. Careful not to make even the slightest sound she crept up the basement stairs and shuffled into the shop's main room.

Whoever the intruder was, they were probing the area with some sort of scan. Their footfalls were quiet, but not nonexistent.

Quickly she rounded the corner to lay eyes on the possible burglar and froze.

Ice in her veins.

His eyes were crystalline blue and his hair fell around his face in chestnut curls. The Intruder's clothing was out of place, it was an imitation of Earth's early 1900's fashion in the United Kingdom. Edwardian, her mind supplied.

But that wasn't what stilled the beat of her hearts.

The moment she'd laid eyes on him, the portion of her mind that always bubbled in the back, the murmurings of her connection to the rest of the Time Lords had swelled and a single strand burst out and connected with her.

His eyes were blown wide in disbelief as he quietly, oh so quietly almost sighed, "You're a Time Lady."

There was nothing for it. The Time Lords would, at worst, leave Hoon to be saved by his people.

But she couldn't go back.

So she ran.

It was the work of a moment to bolt, he didn't seem to have been expecting it so bursting out the front door of her shops and into the night gained her a good advantage of distance.

Of course he gave chase.

"WAIT!" His voice boomed through the night as he pursued her through the streets and ally ways of Kyin, "I demand to know what you are doing here! What have you done to the Fossferan who's ship crashed?!"

Kyin had been her place of residence for more than 12 years, there was no way he'd be able to corner her in the streets she knew like the back of her hand.

Of course him asking about Hoon was surprising, but he had probably picked up the signal with his scanner. It was copper with a red diode and had emitted a noise.

Sonic.

Her mind swirled, so he was dressed completely oddly so he probably had a perception filter that wouldn't work on other Time Lords.

A strange way to use a perception filter, most Time Lords simply dressed for the era and planet. If they wore perception filters it was because they couldn't be bothered to change out of their over decorated and stuffy robes.

So why was he dressed for a ball in early 1900's Britain?

Jya-Qi climbed a ladder into a barn on the outskirts of the village, there would be an opened window in the back that dropped into a bale of hay. Beyond that there was the burial catacombs.

She'd lose him in those.

As she climbed the stack of hay in the rear of the building to reach the window the barn door swung open.

DAMN!

His Sonic!

"I picked up a distress signal for a Fossferan!" He called out, his voice held such authority she had to stop and turn to face him.

His eyes were cold and his face was like a storm.

Looking at his timelines was like seeing a supernova collided with an ion storm, he was mighty and ancient compared to her.

Fear welled up in her heart as he demanded, "I came here to help and found you! Who are you and what have you done to that Fossferan?!"

Tears stung at her eyes but she swallowed them back and refused to cry as he stepped toward her, power rolled off of him in waves. The moon at his back painted him as a fearsome thing.

He was just in front of her now and could grab her if she attempted to run again.

So, she did all she could do at the moment and uttered a name she hadn't in over a decade, "My designation is Epsilon Nu."

She almost choked on the words, she fought back the fear and stood straight teeth bared, "I refuse to go back to Gallifrey! You can't take me back!"

Whipping out her laser cutter she pressed it between her own hearts, "I'd rather die and not regenerate than go back!"

Suddenly his face shuddered and grew soft, his hands went up as if in surrender before he took a step back, "Listen, Epsilon Nu, I'm The Doctor. I'm only here for the Fossferan who sent out that distress signal."

Her laser cutter hit the floor and disengaged as he opened their basic link enough to tell her that he was not lying.

The Time Lord before her was The Doctor, the Oncoming Storm and Champion of time! The Bleeding Heart Renegade who made events and people better.

She had heard of him of course, all Renegade's tales were told as warnings. What no to do.

Every Academy student sneered at the Time Lords who ran to the stars. And with good reason, most wanted to snuff them out or force them all into a military march of control.

But she was technically a renegade now too, hadn't she run from the most beautiful planet in the cosmos only to reach out into the greater universe?

"He's back in the shop you found me in," The words left her mouth easily, "I was building an Adapter for a Moonasian power cell since his Beacon was almost out of jewels."

She let out an almost laugh in relief, "His name is Hoon, he's sleeping right now."

Her hand went to her forehead and laughter began bubbling up from her belly, it was almost hysterical, "Oh! OH! You have a TARDIS! You can take him back to his time! Or at the very least get his beacon where it needs to go better than I can with all the spare bits of junk I have!"

Happiness! It glowed from her chest and no doubt showed in her eyes, "Hoon can see his wife again!"

She turned to him and gave him a smile, she hadn't felt hope in such a long time!

The Doctor was smiling too, but he seemed more startled than anything, "You're helping the Fossferan? Why not take him back yourself then?"

With another laugh she replied, "I don't have a TARDIS, or any means of Time Travel. I couldn't fix his ship either, too much of it had burned at his crash site."

The Time Lord stretched out his hand then, "Show me the beacon, perhaps we can figure something out."

She reached back and let him help her down the hay, "Sorry for running, I thought you were a member of the CIA here to take me back to Arcadia."

"Once you're a renegade they don't tend to chase you." The Doctor informed her and placed her hand in the crook of his elbow, then shot her a rather conspiratory smile, "I should know."

How she wished that were true.

But he didn't know what she was, what they had done to make her stay.

They walked back sedately, and she was surprised that no one had been woken by their rather long chase through the streets.

As they approached the shop The Doctor asked, "Do you have a title? I know you said Epsilon Nu was your designation but that is normally cast off."

She opened the door to the shop and frowned, "I've been going by Jya-Qi here, but it's not- It's not me."

He gave a nod, "Shall I call you that for now?"

"Yeah." Jya-Qi sighed then grimaced as she led him into the basement, "It's better than Epsilon Nu."

He gave a short laugh before his eyes caught sight of the ship and he half constructed adapter. The Doctor released her arm and examined the beacon with a wide eyed smile, "You've enhanced the signal of the beacon! No wonder my TARDIS picked it up!"

He turned to her and she pulled herself up to sit on the table. The Doctor then began examining her half cobbled together parts, "You weren't just building an adapter were you?"

Lifting an energy transfer tube he brandished it at her and Jya-Qi nodded, "I didn't want it to keep running out and Moonasian power cells in this century are rechargeable so I was hoping to keep it at a constant flow."

"How old are you?" He breathed out, almost impressed she mused.

"350." Jya-Qi admitted for the first time since leaving Gallifrey, "I ran when they decided I was going to marry someone I didn't love.."

She'd never even gotten the chance to fall in love on Gallifrey. That's not how they did things and she refused to be part of it.

In his eyes she could see it, awe.

"You're very brave," The Doctor smiled, "Even I married when the time came."

Most did.

Jya-Qi only shrugged, she wasn't supposed to be on Gallifrey anyways.

"This is impressive though!" He gestured to her work, "Instead of trying to make the Beacon backwards compatible you've made your modifications forward compatible so that you wouldn't have to turn off the beacon."

"I didn't want to risk his people seeing it go out and think he was dead." Jya-Qi admitted, "I was actually building a vortex manipulator but when he landed here he became my priority."

He was beaming at her now, "Why a vortex manipulator?"

"I've always wanted to touch the stars." She admitted quietly, "I wasn't able to steal a TARDIS when I ran. But i figured I'd have time to construct something, if crude, to fulfill that wish."

"And yet you stopped to help a stranger." The Doctor observed and Jya-Qi could see what he was saying.

"He needed help," She explained, "And I'm going to live a very long time, what's that worth if I don't help where I can?"

"Quite right too." He chuckled and it slid into place, in her mind that The Doctor was the same. That was why he interfered so often in the lives of all the other species of the universe.

"You're right," He shifted his gaze to Hoon's ship, "There's no way it can be fixed and you've done exactly what I would have done if I didn't have a TARDIS."

"But you do have a TARDIS," Jya-Qi smiled.

"I do." He smiled right back.


	3. Kry-Stal: Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND SO IT BEGINS! I just want you to know that while this is in fact done, I'm doing heavy edits as I go through it and read it again to ensure flow and all that jazz.
> 
> So if the final word count is bigger or smaller than my original estimate that's why.

It was odd, having someone fluttering just outside her mental barriers for the first time in over 12 years.

He couldn't read her thoughts or emotions but their basic link kept reminding Jya-Qi where The Doctor was. It would work for less than a kilometer but it was till odd to feel it so clearly in a place that wasn't Gallifrey.

There he was sitting with her in the basement of he shop, making conversation about the signal boost she'd constructed and scanning it with what turned out to be a Sonic Screwdriver of all things.

The Doctor turned his eyes up from the booster and said, "The fact that you've constructed all this with Kry-Stal technology keeps making me smile."

"Why?" Jya-Qi gave a rather cheeky smile to her pursuer turned guest, "Because most Time Lords lack imagination?"

With that he laughed but couldn't help but nod, "I suppose that's what I keep thinking."

He knew it was all she had to work with but that wasn't what he was saying was it? Jya-Qi wanted to sigh over it. Most Time Lords wouldn't run away from home so they didn't have to get married either.

"So!" Jya-Qi pressed forward, "How old are you? You asked me so It's only fair I know how old the Time Lord who is so impressed by my creativity is."

It was teasing and light and made the smile that The Doctor was wearing broaden, "Over 1,000, I honestly lost track around my 6th Body."

The confession was startling, she hadn't expected him to be over 600. The way he was so light and enthusiastic about such a simple use of native technology. Then again this wasn't like the 1,000 year old teachers who were so intent on keeping her locked away until she knew her place.

This was a 1,000 year old renegade who did as he pleased, had been since late in his 1st Body.

650 years between them, that was roughly 3 whole tenures at The Academy between them her mind supplied.

"Well Doctor, I hope I'm at least half as open minded and enthusiastic as you when I reach that age." She replied honestly, it was a special thing to retain such a passion for the universe as a whole.

Jya-Qi couldn't help but wonder what Body he was on currently but she chastised herself for such a thought.

"I'll take that as a compliment." The Doctor looked smug at the notion and she rolled her eyes at the display.

Jya-Qi couldn't help but be glad that he had found her, that she had met a Time Lord who simply treated her like another member of his species. She also noticed that he kept not calling her 'Jya-Qi' perhaps it was because she said it didn't feel right.

But she had also said she didn't like Epsilon Nu, so he did not use that either.

Absently she wondered what Title she would take fore herself when she was free. The Doctor was the man who made people better. The other Renegades had taken Titles like 'The Master', 'The Warlord', 'The Rani', or even 'The Monk'.

A name that explained who you were without preamble.

If she traveled would going out and seeing the stars be enough? Wouldn't she want to be like The Doctor and help people? Like she had already started helping Hoon.

Perhaps a name that would be about fighting and caring for people who couldn't fight for themselves.

"Jya-Qi?" Hoon's voice came from above his foot steps tread across the floor of the shop and she was startled to find that she hadn't heard him rise.

"I'm still in the basement Hoon!" She called out and looked at The Doctor, "Looks like it's already time for you two to meet!"

"Time flies when one is having fun." He shrugged without regret that they had spoken all night about virtually nothing.

In a moment the sound of Hoon's steps drew closer and he was making his way down into the basement. When he entered his eyes immediately found The Doctor, who was lounging in the cockpit of the Fossferan's ship.

"Jya-Qi?" Hoon's voice was small and questioning as he turned to her.

"Hoon, this is The Doctor he's one of my people." She smiled and gestured to the Time Lord who was now waving at the Fossferan, "Doctor, this is Hoon."

The Doctor nimbly climbed out of the ship and offered his hand to the newcomer, "My ship caught your signal! Jya-Qi here says that you're in need of a lift home."

Hoon took the proffered hand and looked between her and The Doctor in confusion, "You can take me home? Back to the Future?"

The Doctor looked to Jya-Qi as if he understood that Back to the Future was a movie and, knowing the Time Lord spent so much time around Earth, he probably did. Jya-Qi only smiled back in amusement.

"I can!" The Doctor replied, "I have a ship that can easily take you back to your time and planet! Just say when and I'll be ready to get you home."

Hoon looked at her as if the offer was too good to be true so she helped him a bit, "It's true Hoon. When I left my planet I didn't have a ship, but he does so he can help easy."

Jya-Qi snapped her fingers to emphasis how simple it would be and Hoon finally smiled. It was bright and blinding as he practically leaped up the stairs into the shop exclaiming, "Let me get my things! I'll be ready in only a cycle!"

"Is a cycle an hour?" The Doctor asked as he watched Hoon leap up the stairs.

"Hour and a half abouts." Jya-Qi replied easily, The Doctor turned to look at her in disbelief and she just shrugged.

"Well the TARDIS is parked behind your shop, I'll have to move her down here." The Doctor began making his way up the stairs, then stopped, "He does want his ship, right?"

"Probably." She laughed, "It was a trial run, Hoon's a test pilot."

The Doctor's eyes widened, "He's THAT Hoon."

"He's that Hoon." Jya-Qi laughed and when The Doctor's eyes grew bright as if they had stars in them she collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"You mean," The Time Lord was growing more and more exuberant, "to tell me that that Fossferan is Hoon Felricha?!"

Jya-Qi kep laughing at his rather star struck expression, The Doctor went on though, "I'm the reason he mysteriously returns home?!

"He's the Fossferan who-"

"Founded 'Green Life' and created the interplanetary symbol for hospitals?" Jya-Qi smiled brightly, "Yes, I took that lesson too Doctor."

"But he's amazing!" The Doctor sighed softly, "How long has he been here?"

"8 Months in a week." Jya-Qi shrugged, "It took me 4 months to realize since he wouldn't tell me his last name in an attempt to uphold the rules of time travel."

"Well I can't keep the Father Of Interplanetary Symbols waiting now can I?" The Doctor smirked roguishly before bounding up the stairs to move his TARDIS.

Hoon returned shortly with his bag of supplies, "Where is his ship then?"

Jya-Qi replied, "He's moving it down here so you can take your test ship back home as well."

The Fossferan's eyes widened at that, "It has that much room?"

Without warning a small breeze filled the room and the grinding sound that every TARDIS made filled the basement. A Blue Box faded in and out of existence until it solidified and The Doctor bounded out, "Jya-Qi how do you feel in regards to helping me load up Hoon's ship?" was the first thing out of his mouth.

Hoon was staring at the TARDIS in awe, he reached out a hand then touched it before looking at The Doctor, "How did you do that?"

"A very long story." The Doctor replied and then looked to Jya-Qi who couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with his Chameleon Circuit. It would be rude to ask in front of the TARDIS so she refrained.

"Alright Doctor," She smiled, "I'll help you as Hoon adjusts a bit."

Together the two rigged up a sled like contraption and were able to slide the Fossferan vessel into the TARDIS. Upon entering Jya-Qi took the room in.

It was ornate and highly decorated, it was almost like a beautiful library. Suddenly the sound of the TARDIS singing danced through her mind and Jya-Qi suddenly felt choked up, "She's beautiful."

The TARDIS send a wave of approval and Jya-Qi laughed.

"Its-" Hoon was frozen at the door, "It's so huge."

"It's transdimentional." The Doctor Explained but his focus was on Jya-Qi, "She likes you."

Jya-Qi touched the time rotor and the golden flecks of time that swirled around it, which only Time Lords could see swirled, "I like her too, she's brilliant."

"Have you ever been in a TARDIS?" The Doctor's voice was curious, no doubt about her reaction.

"Just a very young one for my driving test," she admitted, "I've only ever seen them in the Nursery."

"It's amazing." Hoon breathed and The Doctor finally turned to him looking smug.

"She is in't she?"

Hoon looked around the room and The Doctor asked, "Are you ready to go home Hoon?"

"I've been ready since I got on Kry-Stal" Hoon laughed, "I miss my family."

"I want to see him home." Jya-Qi announced then turned from admiring the TARDIS to looked The Doctor in the eye, "He's my friend and I want to make sure he gets home."

"Alright." The Doctor smiled, "If you would like you can even help me drive him there."

Almost reverently Jya-Qi touched the control console and felt the TARDIS' song grow louder so that Jya-Qi could pilot her.

"Hang on." The Doctor advised Hoon as he began the dematerialization sequence and Jya-Qi began piloting them through the vortex. In tandem the two Time lords took the TARDIS through her journey to bring Hoon home.

With a shudder they landed and Hoon looked around suspiciously as The Doctor gestured to the door, "Well Hoon, outside is home."

Hoon turned to the doors and in slowly, in disbelief approached the doors. Gently he pushed them opened and he let out a gasp.

Jya-Qi followed him out, close behind was The Doctor.

As promised they were on Fossfer, judging by Jya-Qi's time senses, they were in the proper time as well.

Hoon whipped around and beamed impossibly wide, "Thank you Doctor! You too Jya-Qi! If you hadn't boosted the signal-"

Jya-Qi cut him off with a tight hug, "Be wonderful Hoon! I'll always remember you."

He returned the hug gently and Jya-Qi pulled away with a smile, "This is goodbye."

"It is." Hoon nodded then smiled at The Doctor who gave a nod in return.

Jya-Qi removed the signal booster from Hoon's beacon and with little fanfare she and The Doctor were back in his TARDIS heading back to Kry-Stal.

Jya-Qi would miss Hoon, she'd need a new baker too. She sighed wistfully, that was fine he was home where he belonged now. Perhaps she'd put out an add.

With a shudder they landed and The Doctor gestured to the doors once more, "Well Jya-Qi there it is."

Jya-Qi smiled at him, "Thank you for taking him home Doctor."

He smiled back and nodded so with that she made her way to the doors.

"Unless." The Doctor spoke suddenly and it caused her to stop and turn back to him.

"You could come withe me."

"What?" Confusion surged through her at the offer, it was like there was an invisible hand gripping her at the throat.

"Well," The Doctor was grinning, "You said you wanted to see the stars and well you helped Hoon, you know what I do."

It hurt her very essence to say, "I can't."

No doubt the pain showed on her face since The Doctor was suddenly confused, but his voice was gentle, "Why not?"

"The Time Lords will come looking for me, it wouldn't be right to drag my trouble into your TARDIS." She replied sadly and he frowned.

"Why do you think that is?" The Doctor asked, he had said before that the didn't tend to chase renegades and that was true.

"I wasn't born on Gallifrey," she confessed for the first time in her life to anyone, "I was born on earth. Late 20th Century, 1987 to be exact."

The pressure in her throat tightened then relaxed, suddenly it all came tumbling out, "The Council took me when I was 16, I'd left home for a stupid useless boy and I was leaving him. I was going back to my mum but I never made it.

"I suspect they used a Time Scoop to bring me to Gallifrey. They made me what I am. They shipped me off to The Academy and practically forced me to become a Time Lady."

She took a deep breath, "It was awful, I wanted to travel my planet and suddenly I was taken to a different one. I was a child even by Earth standards and they just took me."

"Why?" The Doctor's face was horrified at the revelation, "Why take a Human?"

There had been Human Time Lords before her, but they were all taken to the academy under recommendation. All of them had wanted to be there. Not her.

"I don't know." She slumped against the TARDIS' doors, "They would only ever say it was for days to come.

"I'm not even like a true Human Time Lord."

Her gaze turned up to him, his eyes were so sad she could barely stand it as she made her last confession, "They said there was something about my body, I don't know what it was they wouldn't say, but I suppose they couldn't afford losing it's properties in a proper regeneration.

"So they made it so if I did die the body I built for myself would simply be a copy of the body I had when they engineered my Time Lord Senses.

"I have a few alterations, two hearts, a Time Lord mind, but I'm still their prized abomination. more Human than Time Lady.

"They stitched on the bits they could and called me perfect."

Of course it was because she was Human, a member of the so called lower species they had the supposed right to do with as they saw fit!

She didn't even realize she was crying but warm tears trailed down her face and she let out a sob, "I was making a Vortex Manipulator but I just wanted to see my Mummy and I can't until I die again!"

"How old." The Doctor's voice was steady but sounded dangerous, "How old were you when they changed you?"

"19." She heaved a sob and covered her mouth in shame, "I was 19."

Slowly, so slowly The Doctor approached her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. Graciously he opened his side of their basic link to bare his honesty to her as he said, "If you don't mind having company you can travel with me, and I will protect you from them.

"I can keep you safe from whatever plans they have for you."

She looked up to him and not only saw but felt how earnest he was, how desperately he wanted to help.

"Then take me away from here Doctor."

And He did.


	4. The Doctor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every 'Story' is 3 chapters long, so here's their first official adventure together.

There was sleep to be had, atleast an hour or so of it. 

It was common for Time Lords aboard the same TARDIS to sync up rest cycles, after all there was no real night or day in the vortex. So after they left Kry-Stal, Jya-Qi allowed the ship to lead her into unused quarters that would be hers for the duration of her stay. 

She had expected the barren and stark rooms she had been subjected to during the rather limited Academy Trips she had been allowed to go on. But The Doctor's TARDIS seemed to have other ideas.

Her new room was warmly lit and furnished with fine oak furniture, the bed spread was high quality Versuin cottons and there was a book shelf that was already half stocked with Earth Classics. The TARDIS also supplied a rather beautiful vanity set that was situated next to a rather breathtaking wardrobe.

With much appreciation at the rather warm welcome, Jya-Qi sent a mental wave of thanks to the ship. Which the TARDIS replied to with something akin to a happy fondness.

Every room was equipped with a bathroom, so she very quickly disrobed from the clothes she had been wearing and took a shower. It was relaxing and comforting to have the hum of the ship against her mind as well as the basic link she shared with The Doctor fluttering just outside her senses.

It was strange to realize she was homesick for a place that she had felt completely trapped in a way that her life on Earth never had. Earth had been circumstances, but back on Gallifrey it had been the Council watching her every waking moment and controlling her life. 

But she did miss certain Time Lords, Romana had always been kind despite the rest of the Councils decisions and so had Averin and Othor who was the closest thing she had to friends while she worked in the Nursery. 

The sights of that beautiful planet were something she had dreamed about as well. It must have looked so perfect to anyone who had never stepped foot on the red slopes of Gallifrey's hills and valleys. 

Then again she had spent centuries on Gallifrey, and only 16 years on Earth. But Earth was her home planet, so then why did her heart ache so deeply at the thought of Gallifrey and it's majesty? 

With a sigh she pulled herself out of the shower and went through the process of drying herself with the towels that were supplied by the rather wonderful ship.

When she was done she dressed into a rather plain set of sleepwear and treated her hair then dried it slowly and gently, so at not to damage it. Ultimately Jya-Qi tucked herself into bed and closed her eyes to sleep.

Dreams came to her slowly and then all together. Her long ago childhood with her mother and the other children that lived on the estate all swam together with the images of Gallifrey and her days spent as a Time Lady that danced on the fringes of acceptable society.

Finally it all settled into the quiet days spent in the TARDIS Nursery, faces from through out her life catching her attention every so often.

It was only 1 hour and 34 minutes, but it was enough for Jya-Qi to feel well rested. 

She stretched almost languidly as her the fog of sleep receded from her mind and she regained her faculties. Of course Jya-Qi could wake herself up instantly but it wasn't something she did if she could help it. The laziness that was left in her bones after a sleep cycle kept her in touch with the part of herself that was still human.

Brushing her hair she pulled it back and wrapped it neatly over itself into a rather neat bun. Jya-Qi then made her way over to the TARDIS wardrobe where she surprisingly found a decent array of outfits. 

After roving her eyes over the selection, it was the work of only a moment to decide on an outfit that was both simple and comfortable. Jya-Qi quickly dawned a pair of black leggings, a rosey colored tunic, and a simple set of white trainers.

Her outfit was comfortable enough that she felt prepared to face the next couple of days, unless of course their next destination caused it to get dirty.

Finally she was prepared both mentally and physically to face the day and the Time Lord whose TARDIS she found herself in.

Allowing the ship to guide her Jya-Qui made her way to the console room, there she found The Doctor fiddling with the coordinates.

"Sleep well?" She smiled at him as he lifted his gaze to greet her.

"It was fair I suppose," He smiled back, "I'm not used to my traveling companions knowing when I sleep."

"Like to make them think you don't sleep at all?" it was almost against her will that her smile widened, it was funny to think that a Time Lord known for traveling with Humans and various members of the shorter lived species would put on such a show of Time Lord superiority.

"Not quite," The Doctor gave a breathy laugh, "They simply happen to always ask during times I haven't slept so I simply tell them I require less sleep than them."

"Right!" She laughed and shook her head, it was funny though, that he couldn't fool her. 

"Well then enough about the dreaming hours!" He announced jovially, "I was hoping to take you somewhere a little different from Kry-Stal"

"Take me to a Level 5 planet." Jya-Qi couldn't help it, excitement was bubbling up in her heart.

"First," The Doctor noted, "Am I still to call you Jya-Qi?"

"For now." She sighed, it wasn't an ideal name, it felt wrong and uncomfortable. But what else did she have? There was still uncertainty in her, what she wanted her purpose to be as a so called Renegade.

"Well then Jya-Qi!" The Time Lord smiled brightly once more, "I have a level 5 planet for you! How does the Glass Library of Athelo sound?" 

"It's sounds fantastic!" Jya-Qi was almost breathless in excitement! The Glass Library was a Tervitan structure on their home world that was built as a monument to store their entire culture and history! When it's twin was built it the two together would become one of the 7 wonders of the Garvati system.

He began settingthe coordinates and Jya-Qi made to help when he cast a side long glance at her.

"What?" She frowned, "You let me help you pilot the TARDIS before!" 

"It's just odd." The Doctor sighed but stayed chipper, "I haven't had anyone truly help me pilot the TARDIS in some time..."

The Fact that he almost never traveled with members of his own species was a heavy implication and it was OK with her.

Jya-Qi laughed, "Well you have me now and I'm going to help you pilot!" 

And she did. 

The landed with an unsteady thump and The Doctor shot her a rather enthusiastic grin before gesturing to the door with an over the top flourish, "Outside, The Glass Library of Athelo! And I can promise you the holos and writings don't come near to doing it justice."

Vibrating with excitement Jya-Qi bounded down the path that led to the TARDIS' doors and swung them open with great enthusiasm. 

The TARDIS had landed them between the romance and drama sections of the library, tucked in a reading nook that was rather tall and spacious. Jya-Qi's eyes widened as she entered the library and found more than perfect. Tervitan glass made up almost the entire library, from it's vaulted ceiling to the floors of it's higher levels which over looked the bottom sections.

Railings on the overhangs were hand crafted and the shelving was very clearly commissioned from artisans.

Jya-Qi's hearts fluttered in excitement at the beauty that had bee crafted by the Tervitans. Around her plenty of Tervitans, whose skin tones ranged between various shades of blue and purple, browsed the shelves and read books at the various reading nooks as well as tables.

The Doctor offered his arm to her then.

The two made their way through the library and Jya-Qi spoke in a hushed tone so as not to disturb the other guests, "I haven't seen a bound book since my class did it's section on 'The Archive' in Arcadia! Before that it was all books on Earth, I was born before the tablet."

"I could take you to The Library if you want to see a truly immense collection." The Doctor teased, but there was no real malice.

"Maybe when I want to see books again." She replied, "For now this is way more than perfect."

"I want to see the adventure, I suppose that would be non fiction." Jya-Qi mused as she pulled away from her new friend and made a path to the her desired section, "What century do you recommend?"

The Doctor who was right behind her replied rather thoughtfully, "If you want more legends and culture go for 10th-17th, beyond that are the works which fit the more modern definition of fiction."

"Right." She gave a nod and began browsing the shelves marked 16th century. 

Her companion began browsing the shelf just behind her and they both searched for suitable reading material.

"My Father," Jya-Qui began making light conversation, "He had a book shelf full of the classics, after he died my Mum kept it in the flat we shared."

The Doctor hummed in interest, "What did it contain?"

"Dickens, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, a bit of everything really." She huffed a light laugh, "I must have read his copy of Oliver Twist a thousand times! I only stopped reading it because I was scared it would fall apart and it was really the only part of my Dad we had left." 

Suddenly a rather loud discussion reached their ears. 

The two Time Lords ceased speaking and shared a glance and then crept around the shelves they were in to find the cause of the ruckus.

Ultimately they found the source at the front entrance of the library.

A well decorated soldier with deep blue skin and emerald green eyes was yelling. His target was one of the librarians who possessed lavender colored skin and yellow eyes.

"I have seen no less than a dozen undesirables here today!" The soldier shouted violently, "I refuse to allow this establishment, this unmatchable monument to our society, to be tainted by Rogean filth! It's unlawful!

"Lord Nielu will have your head for this Seelo!" 

"Excuse me Cardinal Brias," The librarian, seemingly named Seelo, stood his ground, "But there is no law against the exchange of our culture!  
"We have a treaty with the Rogeans so there is no need for saying such harmful things."

Cardinal Brias rolled his eyes, "A flimsy piece of paper that won't stop those barbarians from making off with our precious artifacts and tomes of our history!" 

Jya-Qi made to move, to do something but The Doctor grabbed her sleeve and pressed his mind against her's through their basic link.

"We look like Rogeans." He whispered to her gently, "If you say something now you could be arrested or much worse."

Of course she knew that, she knew what Rogeans and Tervitans were. They were always mentioned together in history, a pair of eternally allied species. And while their relationship was rocky in the start it was never this openly hostile. It was wrong!

Not only temporally but morally! All species were equal if different! 

It burned her to keep watching the exchange in silence, her upset was only eased by The Doctor placing a comforting hand on her back.

"What use do Rogeans have for our books but a need for a better appreciation for our alliance and culture?!" Seelo scoffed and Cardinal Brias seemed to seethe.

"They would use our own resources to overthrow us!" The Cardinal practically raged and would have gone on if a green skinned young woman hadn't swept into the lobby and spoke with booming authority,

"Enough!" She ordered, "Cardinal you are making an unseemly scene in a place of culture and learning! I will not have you scaring off our guests!" 

"Princess Dello!" Seelo blushed and gave a respectful bow as Cardinal Brias did the same rather begrudgingly.

"Princes I'm simply trying to protect our culture." 

"By yelling at Seelo?" She frowned scathingly, "Be it in private or public,I will not have you malign our allies in such a way! Now I ask you to leave my library."

With one last bitter glare at Seelo, Cardinal Brias swept out of the library.

Princess Dello then turned to look directly at the spot from which The Doctor and Jya-Qi had been listening, "You may come out now, I'm sorry for such an awful and hurtful scene! Brias' feelings regarding your people are not shared by all.

"Lord Nielu's reach is far but few."

Right. They appeared to be Rogean.

The two Time Lords walked out from behind the shelves and Jya-Qi did her best to give a bright smile and light bow, "Thank you for your deffence."

"It was my duty." The Princess smiled then turned to Seelo, "Sorry for Brias, he and Nielu have been getting worse as his reign draws to a close."

"We're from quite far within Rogeas, "The Doctor interjected, "Can you please um, enlighten us on why you are not reigning your highness?" 

The princess turned to him and frowned, "I'm only 19 my Birthday is upon us though and I will begin my reign tomorrow."

Tomorrow. Jya-Qi had to swallow at that, the timelines were wild and strained around Dello and it seemed something was wrong.

"Until then Lord Nielu is regent." Seelo scoffed bitterly, "While Dello has been fighting him each step of the way in how he treats your people, there is only so much she can do!"

"From my experience," Jya-Qi spoke softly and sympathetically, "Men like that don't relinquish power easily."

The Doctor gave her a surprised look and Jya-Qi realized that she really had no experience with men like that. So why had she said it that way? 

She shook herself, then gave introductions, "I'm Jya-Qi and this is my friend The Doctor."

"Well Jya-Qi," Seelo sighed, then his expression turned dark, "You'd be right about Lord Nielu, if I didn't know any better I'd say he was going to try something with Dello so close to being Queen."

"Seelo!" Dello sounded scandalized but Jya-Qi couldn't hep but think that if Nielu was the kind of man she thought he was, then Seelo's concern was reasonable.

"You mustn't talk like that in such a public place."

"Then you are concerned." The Doctor deduced, then smiled, "Well your in luck, Jya-Qi and I are private investigators!"

"You are?" Princes Dello frowned suspiciously as Jya-Qi wanted to kiss the Time Lord for such quick thinking on his feet, instead she smiled and nodded, 

"Yep! If you want we can help you out and keep you safe and find out whether he's planning anything."

Princes Dello seemed apprehensive but Seelo seemed thrilled, "It would be perfect!"

Seelo looked at the princess and gave a tender smile, "Think about it, they could find out Nielu is harmless and just bitter, or they can protect you form any plot he may have against you."

"How will you protect me?" The Princes sighed, "I hate to say it but there are really no Rogean courtiers since Nielu became regent."

"We'll be staff!" The Doctor smiled, "The walls of very great home speak after all, and Jya-Qi can even accompany you as a hand maid for a bit of the day."

Considering everything, it was a brilliant plan, but for some reason Jya-Qi had to stop herself from complaining about being staff all the time. The thought made no rational sense, much like the statement she made before about men like Nielu.

"Seelo will take you to the Palace then." Dello smiled, it was softer than before, "He will set you up with the head of my wing, her name is Willo. I trust her with my life and she'll be the only other member of staff to know your purpose."

"Excellent!" The Doctor beamed and tucked Jya-Qi's arm into his, "When shall we start?"


	5. The Doctor: Princess Dello

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickenens

The Tervitan Palace was the peak of beauty and security for the planet's current century.

A great garden stretched out before it with an enormous artificial pond at center of it all. The pond contained three fountains that were ornately crafted and complimented the style of the grandiose palace itself. 

They were guided up the drive by Place guards, Willo was driving a motorized buggy which The Doctor and Jya-Qi rode the back of along with several Rogeans that had been hired as servants to aide in the load of preparing for Princess Dello's birthday ball and ascent to the throne.

Meeting Willo had been simple, Seelo had taken them to meet the purple Tervitan woman after his shift at the library and she had been eager to find Rogeans that were eager and ready to protect the Princess. 

Of course it also helped that she was two staff short for the labor needs the upcoming ball was demanding.

Once the palace guards cleared the buggy and it's passengers, Willo drove around to the back of the palace to the servant's entrance. Upon arriving the Tervitan woman parked the buggy and hopped off gingerly, the Rogeans followed suite. 

As for the two Time Lords, The Doctor leaped off breezily and gallantly offered Jya-Qi a hand down, which she accepted with a tongue touched smile.

If any of the Rogeans thought anything of it they kept quiet. 

Willo led the group of newbies into the servant's entrance and brought them to a room that appeared to be a sitting room for staff. With expediency brought on by experienced she handed them each a staff uniform and had them take turns changing in the adjacent washrooms then sectioned off portions of the group to where they needed to go. 

The others had been required to have experience after all, when she was done Willo turned to the Time Lords, "You two can come with me to the kitchens, if you can't cook I'll have you on dishes."

"I ran a bakery for a bit. "Jya-Qi informed her hopefully, "So i can do either."

"You'll be on breads with Pella then," Willo smiled gratefully, no doubt happy to hear that Della's plants weren't hopeless.

"I suppose that puts me on dish duty." The Doctor grinned, he then loosely took Jya-Qi's hand as they were led off to the kitchen by the Tervitan.

If he were any other species, Jya-Qi would have considered him taking her hand as a show of friendship or absentness. 

But they were Time Lords, and he was over 1,000 years old compared to her mere 350. The only practical reason they should join hands was in order for them not to be separated, or to safely open up their basic link to have a conversation.

Except he wasn't sending her any request for such a thing, if anything he simply allowed their feelings to brush up against each other and allow their minds to bask in the hyper awareness such contact brought.

Jya-Qi tightened the grip of their tangled fingers and The Doctor let out a contented sigh, then smiled at her his eyes sparkling.

They reached the kitchens and The Doctor was directed to the head dishwasher, and Willo gestured to Pella and let Jya-Qi head on her way.

Pella was a Rogean, so he skin was similar to Jya-Qi's own sun kissed tan, but her hair was black and her eyes were yellow. She was kneading a rather large lump of bread and there were about 2 others doing the same.

"Willo sent me to help me with bread." Jya-Qi smiled, "I'm Jya-Qi."

"Ah! Extra staff! I'm Pella, the bread maker." Pella sounded beyond relieved, then gestured to an icebox, "There's more dough to kneed in there so wash up, grab an apron from the stack, get a lump, and start on the table."

"Right!" Jya-Qi nodded and did as she was instructed. It was easy to simply lose herself to making the bread but there was more to her being in the Palace. As The Doctor said, the walls of every great house have ears and they speak.

"How long have you been a baker Pella?" Jya-Qi made light conversation, as she floured the table and began kneading.

"I've been baking since I was a girl," She smiled, "I loved it and it helped put food on the table, opened a shop in the Village. Got so good I was brought here by Willo.

"How about you Jya-Qi, woman with a strange name who kneads bread like a master?" 

Jya-Qi had to laugh at that comment, "I baked to make money too, but it was only really that. My dream was to travel, and well you might not know it but being here is really far from home for me."

"How wonderful!" Pella smiled, "Are you from deeper in Rogeas? It must be marvelous there, not having to grow up worrying about the border conflict."

"Not for me." Jya-Qi offered her best comforting tone as the pain she felt at Pella's statement made her stomach squeeze, "I worry about the fate of everyone on the border with Nielu in charge."

"He wont be for long." Pella grew smug, "Princess Dello is nothing like him, honestly the only reason the people on the border haven't broken the treaty is because she has been so kind and fought Nielu so aggressively. 

"Once she's on the throne, I think we'll finally be able to expand the village into a cultural hub for exchange like the treaty promised."

The Rogeans would build a twin to the Glass Library, it would be a museum of art and history. She would have to ask to see it. The Seventh Wonder of the Gavarti System wasn't anything to sniff at.

"I think you're right." Jya-Qi agreed, lowered her tone, "Tell me, how bad is he? I mean I heard he was bad but I didn't think it was so awful until a Cardinal was yelling about me and The Doctor visiting the library."

"He's that bad and more." Pella sighed and she began sectioning off her fully kneaded dough into loaf sized balls, "Those of us in the Village are really worried about the Princess, he's a mean one and won't give up the Throne easy to someone he can't boss around."

So it was as Jya-Qi and The Doctor feared.

Her mind was firing at a kilometer a second, "Well at least she has the staff on her side right?"

"Right." Pella grinned, "Us in the kitchen would rather die than let him touch her at least."

Jya-Qi's dough was ready so she began sectioning it in the same way she had seen Pella do with her dough. The two continued to knead and Jya-Qi asked about her family, the staff, everything and nothing. She also did her best to give a bit of information on herself that didn't sound mad or reveal she was an Alien.

It was after only a few hours of helping Pella with the bread that Willo approached them, tapping Jya-Qi on the shoulder, causing the Time Lady to turn to the Tervitan in charge.

"The Princess will be taking her year's last meal in her room as is customary," Willo informed her, "She requested you take it up, instructions are on the tray."

Willo then gestured to a serving tray that possessed a meal for one. Jya-Qi wondered if it was customary for The Princess herself to take the meal alone, or if it was part of their culture. 

She could ask but it wouldn't do to stand out more than she needed to.

"Right." Jya-Qi gave a nod and washed the flour off her arms and hands before removing the apron she'd been given for kitchen duties. After setting it in the dirty apron bin the Time Lady grabbed the tray and looked, only to find a small slip of parchment with directions.

Jya-Qi took a moment to be thankful for the mostly Time Lord brain she posses and memorized the steps in only a moment, before tucking the parchment into her pocket and carrying the tray with both hands through the palace.

Mentally Jya-Qi checked off each turn and twist from the list, it would do to keep it remembered so that she could do it in reverse and find her way back to the kitchen.

Afer only a few minutes she found what was supposed to be Princess Dello's suite of rooms and entered as silently as she could so as not to disturb her an any guest she may have. Fortunately as Jya-Qi entered she found the Princess alone and writing at her desk.

Closing the door Jya-Qi smiled at Dello and said, "I have your dinner your highness."

Dello looked up and returned the smile,"Jya-Qi! Put it on the table."

The princess gestured to a side table that possessed a small chair, was it specifically for eating then? Jya-Qi placed the food as instructed and Princess Dello began to speak, 

"Tell me! Have you heard anything yet?"

"Only that the Rogeans under your care seem to think that you're pretty brilliant." Jya-Qi did her best to sooth the princess' fears,  
"From what I can tell the only reason the Rogeans haven't done anything about the way Nielu treats them is because they know he's only temporary and they think his replacement is superior in every way."

"But is he planning something like Seelo seems to think?" Dello frowned and began to wring her hands as her anxiety built.

"I've heard nothing but concerns," Jya-Qi explained, "But I also haven't spoken to The Doctor on what he's heard. So I can't tell you if Seelo was right to worry or not."

The princess sighed and Jya-Qi couldn't help it as she said, "So... Is there a reason why the Princess trusts the word of a librarian so explicitly?"

He tone was light and suggestive, it was the same tone she would use when talking to her friends about bout who they fancied when she was young.

Dello blushed and pressed a hand to her face, "Seelo is-"

She stopped and looked around, "Seelo is fantastic, he's everything I want in a husband but he's...."

Dello trailed off and Jya-Qi could hear the words 'he's just a librarian' hanging between them. 

"Well you're going to be Queen right?" Jya-Qi smiled encouragingly, "Make him more than that."

She stopped herself from saying it had been done before because she wasn't really sure if it had been done on this particular planet yet. 

"Well if your so confident why aren't you married to The Doctor?" Dell frowned, "Willo reported to me on the two of you, just to be sure, she said the two of you were awfully familiar for Rogeans that aren't married! 

"Helping you down! Holding hands? You're both the same age and work together so you have the same status!"

Jya-Qi swallowed back the sudden overwhelming sense of sadness she felt, it was strange, she even had to fight back tears from forming in her eyes. Her throat was burning and she felt such an immense sense of loss it felt like she'd been punched in the stomach.

If she didn't have a respiratory bypass she would no doubt be feeling as if she couldn't breath.

It didn't make any sense to feel so strongly regarding a Time Lord she'd just met.

Calming herself, Jya-Qi weighed her answer carefully. Princess Dello was right, the Two Time Lords appeared the same age. Their bodies both looked somewhere in their mid to late thirties, so she couldn't say that he was too old for her.

That even if she did love him he would only think of her like a child.

That if by some miracle he loved her too they could never marry, no respectable Time Lord would bond such a couple so disparate in age and knowledge. It was a union that could never be. 

And if it was it would be considered an abomination and perverting of their traditions. Jya-Qi would never ask that of him, even if The Doctor loved her she couldn't ask him to make a fool of himself before his- no, their people.

There was seldom enough love in a Time Lord to be able to weather that storm. He would come to resent her, and she couldn't bear the thought of it.

But why was she even considering it all? They had only just met! There was no reason to think he would ever love her, and she couldn't possibly love him!

"We actually barely know each other." Jya-Qi laughed, "I've only just become his partner and I suppose we've just hit it off."

Why had she worried so much about an answer? The truth was the truth and it was easy and believable. 

Dello's face softened then, "Oh! You're only just beginning then! How romantic!" 

Suddenly there was a knock at the door before it swung opened and a Tervitan man followed by several soldiers entered the room. 

"Princess!" The man in the center boomed, his skin was light blue and his eyes were purple, "You were supposed to be down in the ball room finalizing the plans for your ball! Not cavorting with-"

He sneered and gestured to Jya-Qi before spitting the word, "The rabble."

She couldn't help but sarcastically think that he was a charmer.

"Lord Nielu!" Dello hissed as she stood up indignantly, "What is the meaning of you entering my chambers without declaring yourself?!" 

So this was Nielu? Jya-Qi eyed him and smirked to herself. He was every bit the image of what most would consider 'Prince Charming' it was a shame he was so nasty on the inside. 

"I told you!" Nielu scolded her, "How do expect to rule a nation if you can't even plan a birthday party?!" 

"I was about to take my dinner." The princess replied, "I didn't have anything scheduled for hours!" 

"According to the royal planners you did!" He bristled and Jya-Qi realized they had forgotten she was there. The walls have ears indeed!

Forcing a bow Jya-Qi made to leave the room and as she did the motion reminded Nielu she was there as he muttered after her, "Stupid servant, the only thing Rogeans are decent for and they can't even do that."

If she wasn't on a mission, Time Lady strength or not,Jya-Qi would have laid him out right there. 

When she arrived back in the kitchens she found Willo ordering a switch out of staff, as Jya-Qi entered the chaos the Tervitan woman caught her eye, "Jya-Qi! Go with Pella she'll show you where to wash up and take you to your temporary rooms!" 

Jya-Qi gave a quick, "RIGHT!" and began searching for Pella, the woman in question found her first and alerted the Time Lady by gently grabbing her arm, "Jya-Qi, c'mon let's wash up."

With that the two made their way through the servants passage ways and into a communal bathing room for the women. 

Having worked a good portion of the day, Jya-Qi was happy to wash herself clean of the layer of grime that had formed on her. 

After washing Pella supplied her with basic night clothes and led her into small cubby like room with two beds. Pella smiled at her, "There'll be a bell in the morning for a wake up call."

And then made to leave but Jya-Qi stopped her, "Do I have a roommate?" 

It wouldn't do to have to lay there and pretend to sleep, she had already had enough rest for a couple days and if Jya-Qi slept now it would only be for about 2 hours. That wasn't normal for most humanoid species.

"Not that I know of." Pella replied, "You could push the beds together if you like."

Then the woman left Jya-Qi in the quiet of her own room. 

Heaving a sigh, Jya-Qi sat on her bed and closed her eyes in order to focus on the basic link she shared with The Doctor. Easily she found him due to their proximity and prodded at the link, he prodded back eagerly and she decided if he didn't come to find her in 3 hours she would find him herself, and if that failed she'd begin snooping around the palace on her own.

Fortunately he arrived at the door of her cubby with half an hour to spare. 

She felt him approach slowly and when he reached the door she opened it to find him unsurprised at her opening the door for him. It was nice.

The Doctor waltzed in quietly as she closed the door behind him. The Time Lord turned to her and opened his arms to offer a hug, she obliged easily.

When they parted The Doctor sounded amused as he said, "I've found absolutely nothing."

"Me either." Jya-Qi replied and sat back on her bed, The Doctor sat on the spare as she continued rather sarcastically,"I met Nielu though, he's a bundle of laughs."

"That bad is he?" The Doctor grinned and Jya-Qi nodded.

"Seelo seemed genuinely worried, so did Pella." at the Doctor's confused look, Jya-Qi clarified, "The royal baker, she said the only reason the Rogeans haven't done anything is because they know Nielu is about to be replaced."

"Oit, the dishwasher said much the same." The Doctor pondered, "So many people high and low wouldn't worry if there was no real threat.  
"But it's tight enough under wraps that the staff we've met doesn't seem to know."

"They're Dello's staff though." Jya-Qi observed, "Nielu would have to be an idiot to talk about his plans in her wing around her staff."

"True." The Doctor frowned, "We'll have to keep a good eye on her tomorrow during the ball then."

"We'll be servers most likely." Jya-Qi said thoughtfully and observed her new friend, "I just hope we can stop whatever he's planing."

The Doctor nodded, "The place is really too large to look for Nielu's study, even then he may not have any physical plans, so get another hour of sleep if you want."

"No way." Jya-Qi sighed, "I'm not sleeping tonight, I refuse to sleep two nights in a row."

"Oh?" The Doctor's tone was teasing, "Why's that?"

"I always fall asleep for too long and end up groggy if I sleep two nights in a row." She replied seriously, "It's awful."

"A remnant reflex from when you were human probably." The Doctor observed and Jya-Qi agreed, it's what she figured the first time it happened.

"Enough about me," Jya-Qi smiled, "You know plenty enough about me by now! Tell me Doctor, why did you steal a TARDIS run from Gallifrey? You know why I did."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "I suppose turnabout is a fair play! I ran because I was tired of how stuffy they all were! I was about your age actually! 

"Still in my first body and tired of all the rules and traditions they'd foisted on me, on all of us. I wanted to see the stars, so I ran."

"A renegade through and through!" Jya-Qi teased with a tongue touched smile, he returned her grin and his blue eyes sparkled.


	6. The Doctor: Run With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thrilling conclusion!

In the end they left their room that was more of a cubby in order to snoop around through the quiet of night, but even then the two Time Lords had nothing to show for it.

There was either no plan: not likely, or Nielu was over cautions: probably the truth but frustrating nonetheless.

When the two regrouped it they were both empty handed and a bit miffed at the lack of new information.

"I hate it when they're so good at keeping secrets." The Doctor sighed as he lounged on the bed he'd decided was his own, "Almost as much as I hate it when they're clever."

Jya-Qi couldn't help but agree with the sentiment, but couldn't help the slightly optimistic, "Perhaps we're thinking too much, maybe he's not actually planning something absolutely horrible and we're all worried for nothing."

The Doctor looked at her like she had sprouted another head and he was right too. After all the timelines around Dello were tightening into a strangle hold when they had met her, they had only grown worse by the evening.

Jya-Qi rolled her eyes, "I didn't say he wasn't planning anything! I just said it might not be 'absolutely horrible'!"

He continued staring at her and Jya-Qi huffed out a laugh,"I'm just trying to be optimistic!" 

Shaking his head he leaned back onto his bunk, "It would be quite wonderful if you were correct, but with my history, it's probably worse than 'absolutely horrible'"

"That's reassuring." Jya-Qi sighed at the rather discouraging sentiment.

Before daybreak the Palace slowly came alive and just as dawn struck, the bell in their room rang, just as Pella said it would. The pair of Time Lords quickly changed into their uniforms, for Jya-Qi there it was left for her at the foot of her bed, for The Doctor though he had brought it with him from whatever cubby he'd been originally assigned.

After changing and tying up her hair, Jya-Qi and The Doctor stepped out of their room and began making their way to the kitchens. But there was something odd happening as the servants seemed to be running around as if there was a fire.

Jya-Qi took initiative and waylaid a maid, "Excuse me, is something wrong with the plans for the ball? What's happening? "

The Maid's eyes bulged out and took a look at her uniform, whatever she found satisfied her as she said, "The Princess! She's been missing since the wake up call! Lord Nielu is calling all the Rogean servants to the main hall!" 

As the maid was speaking, Willo swept into the walkway, "Jya-Qi! Doctor! Come with me!" 

The pair of Time Lords didn't need to be told twice as Willo began a rush towards the kitchen, they followed. When they reached Willo's domain she shoved them out the delivery door, 

"When I went to wake the princess she was missing." Willo was no longer together, her eyes were wide and she was shaking, "There was a note, it said the Rogean village had done it! He's taking all the servants to hold them accountable but-"

Suddenly a Buggy drove up the back path and pulled over next to them, it was Seelo who was driving and he hopped off the pilot's seat, "Willo! Nielu sent word to the city! It can't be true!" 

Willo was shaking now, "Oh, Seelo! It is!"

"What are they demanding?" Jya-Qi pressed, it was important, completely vital that she knew because the picture her mind was painting was not a good one.

"Money, land, the throne!" Willo made a list and Seelo shook his head in disbelief, "You name it, it was there on that note."

"He means to start a war." Jya-Qi hissed, and The Doctor took her hand as he agreed,

"Kill her and start a war, he gets two things he wants but comes out the other end a hero. Dello's a martyr and the people rally behind him asking barely any questions, after all they'll want to avenge their stolen princess who never got the chance to be Queen."

Jya-Qi saw it then, Dello could die. It wasn't necessary she reign as Queen. The eternal alliance between the Tervitans and Rogeans would still come about but just a bit slower.

"We have to stop him." Jya-Qi hissed, "We can't let him kill that poor girl! We can't let him hurt all those people!" 

The Doctor looked at her, his eyes seemed to pierce into her very core and then he smiled, it was bright an almost manic, "You're 100% correct my Dear!"

He turned to Willo, "Does anyone where she may have been taken?"

A voice cut through from the delivery door, "The Forest, if he wants to blame us then he means to kill her in the village or near enough to it."

The quartet turned to find Pella, the woman's fists were balled in rage and she looked ready to go to war with the world, "I know that forest like I know my own name, I grew up in there. If you mean to find her I can help you.

"We'll need a couple of mounts though, there's no way through that forest on a Buggy."

"Your fantastic Pella!" Jya-Qi beamed at the woman as Willo said, "I'll get you what you need but we have to hurry! Nielu is gathering you all!" 

With that Willo swept off towards the stables.

"I'll stay here." Seelo announced, "I have to watch over the servants and keep Nielu from doing something Dello can't reverse. It's what she would want."

"Good man." The Doctor approved of the decision as Jya-Qi's hearts ached at the reminder of how much it probably took for him not to go after Dello. 

Willo returned with two mounts, complete with saddles, reigns and a ridding crop. Jya-Qi thanked her as The Doctor helped her onto the horse like creature, while Pella easily mounted the other creature. Swiftly the Time Lord joined Jya-Qi as the Time Lady wrapped her arms around his waist. 

She knew how to ride but it wasn't something she was particularly skilled, "If I fall off and die I'm killing you." 

"You'll be fine!" The Doctor assured her as Pella and her steed bolted towards the forest, snapping the reigns they two sped off. Jya-Qi's arms tightened around his waist and she took a breath.

How did she know how to ride? The Academy hadn't taught her that, and when she was growing up on Earth she'd lived on a Council Estate in London, there was no way she'd learned to ride there either.

Jya-Qi focues on the task at hand then, there was no reason to dwell on those things. 

They ripped through the forest, Pella in the lead her head in a swivel as she would occasionally stop her mount and examine the forest around them. 

At one such stop she declared, "They're taking her to the Ruins of the Old Ones."

"And those are?" The Doctor asked and Jya-Qi had to pinch him, Pella frowned, "How do you not know what those are?"

"The Doctor is bad at history," Jya-Qi attempted to salvage the slip and Pella just nodded as the Time Lord gave his companion a backwards nudge with his elbow.

"They're the ruins of our ancestors, the Old Ones were the parents of both the Rogeans and Tervitans." Pella explained, "The Tervitans like Nielu refuse to acknowledge that history and a few over zealous Rogeans think that we're the truest children of them."

"A perfect place for a murder to start a race war." The Doctor frowned, "We have to hurry."

"I agree." Pella was frowning at the path, then suddenly chose a direction and continued to push at a break neck speed. The Doctor waited for Jya-Qi to hold on tight before following her.

It seemed like ages but according to Jya-Qi's time sense it had only been 2 hours, when they came upon the ruins that Pella had told them about.

Upon reaching the outskirts Pella slowed her mount to a walk, then motioned The Doctor to so the same. They then began to search the ruins as quietly as they could.

The ruins were well preserved and rather beautiful, the paths were well tended as well and if they weren't looking to prevent a murder it was a place Jya-Qi wouldn't mind exploring. 

Jya-Qi heard the struggle before she saw it, it seemed Pella and the Doctor had too since they both bolted into the direction of the noises.

"Help!" was screamed, it was the familiar voice of princess Dello another voice, male, was telling her to keep quiet as she shouted for aid.

They came upon Dello bound at the foot of one of the temple like structures, there were two men holding her hostage. One slapped her, and demanded her silence the other caught sight of them, his eyes widening as he pointed at the new comers. 

Their mounts were brought to a halt and Jya-Qi wasted no time, she was the first to leap from the horse like creatures and she grabbed the riding crop that had remained unused in the saddle. 

"You let her go," Jya-Qi demanded in such a voice that commanded authority and threatened fire and brimstone. She brandished that riding crop at them. The man who had noticed them raised his hands in surrender as he said, 

"Please! I didn't want this! I was just doing as I was told!" 

"You disgust me!" Jya-Qi spit at him, "She's just a child!"

The Time Lady turned to the other man who was reaching for his sword, "I dare you, see what happens!" 

The Doctor was quickly by her side as he grabbed the man's hand away from his weapon, the Time Lord then removed the sheath from the kidnappers hip.

Immediately Jya-Qi went to Dello's side, her voice was gentle as she removed a gag from Dello's mouth, then moved to examined the knots that bound the princess' hands and feet, "I'm so sorry we would have stopped this if we knew."

"you came!" Dello was crying tears of relief, "You came and saved me, that's enough! Oh that is enough for me."

"I'm sorry, but it's not over yet." Jya-Qi sighed as she untied the rather complex knots and freed the princess, the Time Lady looked to The Doctor and Pella. They had tied up the two men and tossed them over the back of the mounts.

Jya-Qi moved to help the princess to her feet and wrapped a comforting arm around her as The Doctor rejoined them saying, "It never is."

"What could be worse than this?" Dello wiped her own tears and it broke Jya-Qi's heart as The Doctor had to inform the young woman, 

"Nielu intended to kill you and start a war. The longer your gone from the Palace the longer he has to start killing the Rogeans in your care and he'll even be able to justify it by saying it was for your own good."

"Those men aren't the ones who took me," Dell hissed, " It was members of Nielu's guard, those men were simply hired to kill me.

She then took a steadying breath and looked between her trio of rescuers, "I refuse to allow any blood to be shed on this day."

"Good." The Doctor smiled and turned to Pella, "Can you alert the village? Nielu will attack there first if we don't make it in time."

"It's not far from here," Pella gave a nod, "You and Jya-Qi take the mounts, I'll be fine. My family were forest watchers."

"Thank you Pella." Princess Dello reached out and put a thankful hand on her Royal baker's shoulder, "You will be rewarded for saving my life."

Pella gave a smile and nod before she rushed off into the forest she knew so well.

Jya-Qi helped Dello onto the empty mount and was surprised to see The Doctor mounting the creature that was already holding their prisoners, "You expect me to take Princess Dello to the castle?"

"You can't ride?" The Doctor frowned but Jya-Qi shook her head and simply said, 

"My threat still stands until we're back home Doctor."

"Well then you'd best be extra careful for both our sakes." He smiled as she rolled her eyes and mounted the creature that Dello was on. The Princess wrapped her arms around Jya-Qi's waste for safety and the Time Lords were off.

Retracing the pathways they had taken in order to go back was The Doctor's job, he was the one who had followed Pella. 

Jya-Qi simply followed him and did her damn best to keep up with the rather urgent ride. There were lives at stake, they couldn't afford an easy stroll.

As they rode Dello almost nervously asked, "Where is Seelo?"

"He's doing his best to keep Nielu from doing something that can't be reversed." Jya-Qi hoped that the Librarian could handle the task as she said, 

"He said he was doing what you would want, he would make a good consort."

"He would." Princess Dello pressed her face into Jya-Qi's back and if she wasn't a Time Lady she wouldn't have heard the princess whisper, "God please let us make it."

Jya-Qi almost wanted to cheer as they raced past the palace guards and practically leaped from their mounts, taking the time only to help Dello down safely.

At the Palace doors The Doctor quickly took Jya-Qi's hand.

It was Princess Dello's turn to lead the march through the Palace. As they made their way to the great hall and throne room there was no shortage of gasps and turning heads from servants and guards.

The Princess was back and unscathed, accompanied by two people who by all appearances were Rogeans.

There was no doubt a mighty message traveling through the whole palace, by the end of the day the whole city would know in what state Dello returned.

But they hadn't seen anything yet!

The trio entered the great hall, and Dello opened the double doors with such great ceremony that every single head turned to them.

All the Rogean servants were gathered to one side of the hall, and a good 2 dozen Tervitans were on the other. 

"Lord Nielu!" Princess Dello called to him as if she were about to burn and salt the earth where he stood. Nielu was standing at the throne, their arrival seemed to have interpreted an argument with Seelo who was standing tall.

At the sound of his Princess' voice, Seelo whipped around and relief crashed over his featured like a tidal wave. 

"Princess!" Nielu cried out in shock, "You escaped your captors!" 

"I did not!" Dello's tone broke no argument, "I was saved by people I hired to investigate you! And I was right to! It was your guard who kidnapped me! 

"You were going to kill me to start a war and it will not be born! I strip you of all your authority! You will have such shame brought on you that if your name is to be said your family will cover their eyes!" 

"You can't!" Nielu gasped out but the Palace soldiers that were station at the great hall doors pulled out their blades and came between the Princess and the man who had staged her kidnapping.

"As of today I am 20." Dello smirked viciously, "I can! Guards! take him to the dungeons so that he may await trial!" 

The Guards obeyed instantly, Nielu fought of course, but he had lost from the moment the rightful Queen had arrived.

As he was dragged away the great hall filled with great cheer at the turn of events. Their princess was safe and sound, and the man responsible was now in custody.

Dello turned to her rescuers, but The Doctor didn't notice as he turned to Jya-Qi and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. The Time Lady returned the gesture, the pleasure at saving Dello was overwhelming.

The Doctor then lifted her and spun them around as he laughed exuberantly, Jya-Qi couldn't help but join him in his rather infections mood. The Time Lord place her back on her feet and pressed a kiss to her forehead as he said, "You were brilliant!"

"And you were too!" Jya-Qi laughed and gave him her brightest smile before turning to Dello.

The Princess was smiling at them and hadn't noticed that Seelo had come up behind her. The Librarian cleared his throat and caught her attention. 

"I'm so glad you're safe." He smiled shyly as if afraid Dello would disappear again.

Jya-Qi leaned towards The Doctor and shared a knowing grin with him as Dello smiled at Seelo.

"Jya-Qi told me you stayed to keep my people safe." Dello stated brightly, "I cannot say wich make me happier, that you were so concerned for me or that your instinct was to help my people."

"You are strong," Seelo explained, "But Nielu had all the power when it came to the servants, I knew what you would want."

"What if I said I also wanted you?" Dello boldly proclaimed and Seelo's eyes widened as she kissed him.

The Doctor took Jya-Qi's hand asthe room filled with cheers anew, and he lead her from the Palace.

"A happy ending!" Jya-Qi sighed as she leaned into her Time Lord companion, "He'll make her a good Consort! Caring for her and her people."

"He will." The Doctor agreed as he smiled down at Jya-Qi.

They headed back to the Glass Library and made their way almost lazily to the TARDIS which was still parked between the Romance and Drama section. 

Jya-Qi snorted at the location.

The Doctor looked to her then to the section and shared in her laughter as they pushed open the doors to the TARDIS and bounded forward to their next adventure.

It wouldn't all be saving Princesses but no matter what it was, Jya-Qi knew suddenly, deep in her soul that she wouldn't have missed any of it for the world.


	7. Zebiter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, where it all starts to end

She had run at the drop of a hat only because she'd made arrangements for the event of her sudden disappearance from Kry-Stal. Shi-Yi would inherit the shop and whatever affects she'd left behind.

It would be a good living if the girl kept it up.

Now though, She lay sprawled out on a linen blanket alongside the basket they had packed for their picnic, she was content and well fed. The sun peaked through the tree tops and kissed her cheeks. Her hair sprawled around in a halo and on her belly rested a straw hat adorned with a ribbon.

The Doctor was sitting, his back propped against the trunk of the solid oak like tree under which they had parked themselves.

They had traveled across time and space but everything she had seen was far more beautiful than she had dared hope. It was far beyond how it had been described when she'd read about it in the Academy.

"How can anyone not want to run across the stars like this?" She sighed happily.

"If by 'This' you mean stopping an insurgence and being guest in the private gardens of the Rethilian Queen, " The Doctor's voice was amused, "I can assure you most beings, even Time Lords, would find it to be too much of a hassle."

She couldn't help it, she laughed, a bright bubbly thing that shook her body.

Closing her eyes she sighed, they had indeed stopped an insurgence and as they were made Knights of the realm the Timelines surrounding the planets settled. Rethil was going to experience an era of peace spanning centuries all because they had stood up and helped.

Shifting her weight she sprang up into a sitting position and turned to her companion, "Perhaps I should call myself 'The Wolf'. "

She gave him a bright smile, which The Doctor returned, "An apex predator that is generally friendly unless threatened who forms virtually unbreakable bonds with it's pack. My only question is who your pack is in this illustration."

"The Universe." It was said like a whisper, her eyes shining, "We're all members of a greater family that spreads across the universe. All of us connected by the bits of stardust that makes us up."

It was then something settled in her hearts at the decision. Epsilon Nu was a name that felt so foreign and Jya-Qi had simply been a play on her mother's name to keep her eyes on her goals.

The only name that had ever felt right was the name she'd been born with, but if she had to take another name then 'The Wolf' was fantastic. Equally capable of protecting and nurturing the universe.

"The Wolf whose pack is the universe." She smiled, joy spread all the way from her chest and down to her toes.

"It's brilliant." The Doctor replied, "It fits you well."

His blue eyes shone and she couldn't help but think he was beautiful, yes his form was rather dashing. The Doctor was fit but he was a Time Lord so that really didn't actually matter.

What mattered was that she could see the cosmos in his eyes and she saw his very soul in reflected in the image. He was the most wonderful person she'd ever met.

The two hadn't been traveling together more than a couple months which was only a blip to how long they could potentially run across the expanse of starlit space together.

"Well then Doctor!" The newly minted Wolf stood happily, "I think this garden is beautiful but it has gotten me thinking..."

The Time Lord turned his gaze up at her, his expression still content, "That's a rather dangerous past time."

Letting out an amused huff The Wolf shook her head, "About gardens!"

"Well obviously!" He rolled his eyes and she grabbed her hat and swatted him playfully.

"I want to see the Botanical Gardens of Zebiter!" She informed him all while he fought off her rather pathetic assault.

The Doctor snatched her hat from her grasp and pushed himself up to stand as well, The Wolf shifted her gaze up to his face and he messily shoved her hat onto her head.

"I haven't been to Zebiter in years!" He exclaimed as she grabbed the hat and adjusted it to sit properly atop her hair.

The Time Lord leaned down to grab the picnic basket and the Lady began folding the blanket as she teased, "Well that could be anything from a decade to half a millennia knowing you."

The Doctor made a mocking huff as she placed the folded blanket on top of their basket that was now looped around his left arm, "Only a century you cheeky thing, I took a vacation there in my last body."

"AH!" The Wolf felt a rush of excitement, "Then you can see it with these eyes then! Let's go!"

With that she grabbed his free arm and tugged him towards the TARDIS that was parked near the privacy hedge that surrounded the whole garden.

"Excuse me!" He protested, but it was just a bit too much to be earnest, "I think you'll find it's my TARDIS and I'll be the one to set the itinerary!"

"Please!" The Wolf taunted as they made their way into the TARDIS, "Your frankly magnificent TARDIS is the one that sets the itinerary!"

With that she bounded towards the console and ran a hand down the time rotor, "Isn't that right?"

The TARDIS' song swelled in her mind happily and The Wolf cast a teasing tongue in teeth grin at her friend.

"This is mutiny!" The Doctor declared to the ceiling, but he was laughing as the TARDIS continued to be amused, "Fine! I supposed if I meet your demands I'll be able to keep my ship."

"Fantastic!" The Time Lady cheered and began to set the coordinate for the Pleasure Planet of Zebiter. He had given her trouble when she'd wanted to help pilot but at this point it was simply logical.

After all, she knew how to drive and a TARDIS really should have 6 pilots. Together the ride was smoother and really it felt nice to help navigate the ship through the Vortex.

Zebiter was a resort planet that catered to thousands of species. 20 sectors divided the planet into different atmospheres that different species could thrive in. Being Time Lords they could easily survive about 15 of them.

The Botanical Gardens that The Wolf hoped to see were in the human and human hybrid sector, though perhaps they could go to a different only later to see all the resort had to offer.

"I see you've set it during the height of the tourist season." The Doctor danced around the console in tandem with The Wolf as they navigated to their destination.

"Well that's when the largest amount of the Botanical Gardens are opened." She reasoned as they shuddered to a halt landing in, hopefully, their intended destination.

The Wolf was still wearing her Rethilian dress but that was fine, she could change later if she wanted to head to a spa after a bit of time spent in the Gardens.

Without much preamble The Doctor offered his arm and she took it happily. The Wolf couldn't help but beam up at him, "You know I don't think I'd have had this much fun traveling on my own, with you though? I love it."

"This life is always better with friends." The Doctor agreed with a matching smile and with that they disembarked.

Casting her gaze about The Wolf took in the dome like structures of the Pleasure Palace and her smile grew impossibly wider, "We made it! It's even the right time."

"Don't sound so surprised!" The Doctor replied in mock affront.

"Well it's like I said," She reminded him, "The TARDIS really controls the itinerary."

With that he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple, his mind buzzed against hers more strongly than the basic link they shared as Time Lords, but it carried no thought or emotion. Just the reassuring presence of another mind.

She blinked and her hearts fluttered at the contact as he pulled away and loosed the linking of their arms only to twine their fingers and tug her along, "I suppose I shall lead the way seeing as I'm the only one of us who has actually visited Zebiter!"

Easily The Wolf followed into step with him and leaned into his side, happy to soak in his presence as he enthusiastically told her of the several gardens and spas they could visit.

"There is a Garden Spa as well closer to the lodging district!" The Doctor informed her, "But the crown jewel is really the 'Serinar Botanical Gardens' which I'm sure are the Gardens you had in mind when you thought of coming here."

"They were." The Wolf agreed as they wandered through the crowded resort. The walls of the resort were Sisimin marble and the floors polished white tiles from Earth in the current century, 53rd if her time senses were correct.

As for the ceilings, they were vaulted and consisted mostly of skylights that let the plant's sun set the mood.

"We'll have to purchase some tickets for the tour." The Doctor grinned and pulled out his trusty sonic from it's place in his green velvet coat, "But that is no matter really."

Suddenly, something behind her was grinding against her time senses, it was like having a tiny neural implosion or even sand in your hair after the beach, but your hair had begun to dry out and the sand was beginning to prickly against your scalp.

The Doctor, halted abruptly, no doubt he felt it too. His face was pinched and he frowned. The Time Lord seemed about to speak when the sensation grew stronger and a voice called out behind them,

"WOLF!"

The Doctor pulled her to himself tightly, and wrapped an arm around her waist, but she craned her neck to look back at the stranger who somehow knew the name she'd only just chosen.

With little struggle she forced The Doctor to turn them around so they could see the stranger and seeming source of their sudden irritation.

Her eyes instantly landed on a man, who couldn't possibly a man. Not the way his timelines tangled in endless lines and loops like a collapsing star system.

Handsome, was the word her brain supplied, he would be considered handsome on Earth during the time she had come from originally. The Man's hair was black and oddly enough he was dressed in a World War II Captain's coat with a button down and slacks.

A Time Traveler clearly, which wasn't odd but it was suspicious.

Since the two Time Lords hadn't moved the strange man easily caught up to them and the grating sensation reached a crescendo as he stopped before them and smiled blindingly,

"When you told me I'd find you here I wasn't expecting you to be with a companion."

"Ah!" The Wolf couldn't help but let out a surprised sound, "Well we're in a situation, because I have no Idea who you are."

The Doctor's hold around her waist tightened and she ran a hand up his back in an attempt to calm him. For a moment she'd wished she could send him mental waves of clam and chided herself for such inappropriate thoughts.

He was over 1,000 years old, he no doubt saw her as a simple child that needed protecting. The thought made her hearts feel cold.

"Wait..." The frowned and really looked at her, then to The Doctor.

After a beat he put out his hand, "I'm Captain Jack Harkness."

"This is the Doctor." She smiled and gestured with her free hand.

Jack's eyes widened in surprise and gestured to her companion with and almost lecherous grin, "THIS is The Doctor? Nice digs Doc."

"Quite." The Doctor sounded less than amused at the conversation, probably due to Jack's grating nature. It was almost as if he was fixed.

But that was mad! A person who was a fixed point was impossible, and yet...

"What I wish to know," The Doctor began almost coldly, his voice full of suspicion, "is how you are even possible."

"Since you don't know me I can't say, that's in you're future." Jack frowned then gestured to The Wolf, "Future her and I came here and when one of the Receptionist warned us be extra careful because people were going missing she told me to go find THIS her and ran back to the TARDIS."

"Say I believe you." The Doctor's tone said he clearly didn't, "Why would only The Wolf be with you?"

"Now that's a loaded question, there's very little I can answer, less than normal in these kinds of situations." the other man sighed.

"You think you know how to handle an out of order meeting better than us?" The Doctor's tone was genuinely insulted, even if it contained a bit of humor. He turned to The Wolf with a mocking grin, "Imagine that! The Human knows better than two Time Lords!"

Jack crossed his arms in consternation, "I don't know better than you, I'm only repeating what The Wolf already told me! You see the situation here is far more delicate than you two realize."

With that Captain Jack heaved a great sigh, "Because this is a time loop, me meeting you and telling you there are people going missing, but it's stacked on top of a bigger time loop which is you and The Wolf traveling together."

"Our traveling together is a time loop." The Wolf felt a wave on incredulousness wash through her, "That's ridiculous. I didn't know The Doctor when we met and he didn't know me."

"Yes it is." Jack seemed desperate, then looked at his watch, "OK! So i have 10 minutes to the next tour of the Serinar Gardens."

"What happens on that tour?" The Doctor pressed, his face was still unfriendly.

"People are going missing!" Jack repeated and it had been said so quickly the first time that The Wolf had missed it. Or perhaps she'd dismissed it because she didn't really trust this strange man, "The Wolf needs to be on that tour! I don't know why but that what future her told me."

"Right well I don't know about you but If people are going missing I think that's a bit more important than whatever drama is unfolding here." The Wolf declared and pulled away from The Doctor. She scanned the area and found a help desk which she immediately approached.

The Doctor and Jack followed as she greeted the woman who was manning the desk, "Hello! Is it true people have been going missing?

"Because you see, my friend won't leave me alone and I want to tour the Gardens but he wants to go to the spa but he's got this wild notion it's not safe."

The woman at the desk frowned, "Well yes.... but Security is taking good care of it and you shouldn't worry."

Her voice was unsteady as if she didn't quite believe it herself.

The Wolf glanced at the woman's name tag, ""So, Juni, it would be alright if I toured the Serinar Botanical Gardens by myself."

Her question was gently and probing, behind her she could feel The Doctor leaning in, listening with baited breath.

Juni took a few quick glances around and leaned forward, "I'd say yes if it was anywhere else but most of them are vanishing around Serinar... But I didn't say that."

With that she sat back in her chair and turned away.

The Wolf grabbed The Doctor's arm and pulled him a good distance away, Jack followed.

"So, people are missing, that's true." She looked at the Time Lord steadily, "I don't care if you don't believe Jack, that part of his story is true and these people need help."

The Doctor looked to Jack then to The Wolf, then whispered to her, "This could be a trap for you."

"Then it's a good thing I have you." She smiled, "Isn't it."

After a beat The Doctor pulled away and looked a Jack in discernment, "Tell me, why should we trust you at all? How do we know this isn't a trap?"

"Well for one I knew The Wolf when she was a regular 19 year old 21st century human," Jack informed them as if it wasn't an enormous bomb which landed in her stomach and exploded in an array of confusion and fear, "So I know her name, because she was just human and didn't really need to be hiding it."

"But that's impossible." The Wolf could hear the words leave her mouth but felt incredibly numb, "I was taken from Earth when I was 16."

Slowly, Jack walked towards her, "No, you were 19 when you left earth for the first time."

He nodded towards The Doctor, "A Future him took you away from your boring life and showed you the stars and I know because I met you when you were traveling with him.

"The two of you took me with you in the TARDIS, we ran through time and space together."

Her mind was spinning, because what Jack was saying, it was impossible! But if he knew her proper human name...and she didn't remember telling him?

Not even the Time Lords knew that.

But if it was true? If she had already traveled with the Doctor? If she hadn't been taken at 16? What else didn't she know? What else about her life wasn't real?

It took all the will power she possessed not to run from it. Because if it was true she'd have to leave The Doctor, this Doctor, because he would still need to meet a past her. But, she didn't want to go!

She could admit it now, that she was falling impossibly fast and inadvisable hard for the Time Lord who she called her friend. How could she leave the man she loved? It would hurt to much.

But perhaps part of her had already loved him, a forgotten part.

Perhaps that was why she trusted him so quickly and fell for him without abandon despite their age disparity.

Maybe she had loved him and was beyond caring what the Time Lords would think.

Not even The Doctor got in the way as Captain Jack Harkness approached her and leaned forwards so that he could whisper into her ear.


	8. Zebiter: Hello Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH BOY OH BOY

"Rose Marion Tyler"

Although it was whispered, the name resounded in her head like a drum of war. 

It was a name that hadn't passed her lips since she found herself recovering from whatever grafts and genetic manipulation they had done to her. The Council had asked and she refused, repeatedly.

So they had called her Epsilon Nu, though, she did not even know where that name came from.

Her hearts were pounding in her ears and she could feel tears stinging in her eyes. In what felt like darkness she reached out and The Doctor took her hand.

"We can trust him." It cost everything to admit, but as The Doctor's face softened as he looked to Jack, The Wolf could see that he also knew what this meant. 

If his future was her past then....

It didn't bear thinking about, there was something more urgent than that happening if Jack was to believed. Well, if her older self remembered correctly.

"So!" The Wolf pushed her worries and questions aside, "Looks like I have a tour to go on! How brilliant the tour I came for is gonna be part of the investigation!" 

The Doctor followed her lead and his face broke out into a smile, "Well then let's go!"

Taking her hand once more the Time Lord started their journey to the Serinar Gardens a new, he cast a look over his should to Jack, "Come along Harkness! You'll be helping us out is seems!" 

With that Jack's face broke out in a smile reminiscent of a child in a candy shop, "I'd love nothing better!" 

He then bounded after them rather eagerly.

Rather quickly the trio made their way over to the gardens in question and as the drew closer the mood of the crowds surrounding the Serinar Gardens shifted from the over all pleasant vibes the rest of the guests were putting out.

There was less chatter than normal, couples stood much closer together and if there were children they were being picked up and carried instead of the simple hand holding The Wolf had observed was more common.

Ever species displayed the shift, it would have been an immediate red flag if she hadn't already been told that something was wrong. 

The Doctor payed for their tickets as they reached the Kiosk and they were ushered inside, barely making it for the group Jack said they needed to be with.

"Well if I wasn't sure before I am now," Jack spoke under his breath to The Doctor and The Wolf so as not to alert the rest of their tour group, "Something definitely has these people spooked."

"This tour group is tiny." The Doctor observed quietly, "It's the height of the tourist season but there's only 3 more people besides us."

The Wolf turned her gaze to the other people on the tour, it was a family of three. The Mother was carrying their son, and kept glancing at her husband as if he might disappear. The Wolf couldn't help but chew her lip in thought at the sight.

"Welcome to the Intergalacticly Famous Serinar Botanical Gardens!" a Vinitan wearing the standard staff uniform announced themselves happily as if nothing was wrong, "I'll be your Tour Guide this afternoon! My name is Theramin and if you have any questions feel free to raise your hand.

"Now if we're all ready we can begin!"

Instantly The Doctor raised his hand, "excuse me, Theramin was it?" 

"Sir?" Theramin frowned, "We haven't started the tour."

"Right but my question was regarding the tour we're about to embark on." The Doctor smiled disarmingly and The Wolf wanted to cover her face because she knew exactly what was coming.

"Well then go on and ask away." The poor unknowing Tour Guide gave him the floor.

The Doctor continued to smile as he rather bluntly asked, "Why is it that so many people are going missing around the Serinar Gardens? People seem to be avoiding it and you're employers don't seem keen to shut it down either."

Of course, the Tour Guide frowned, "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you not to ask those kind of questions! Security is doing their best and you're going to scare the other guests."

The family that was with them seemed to grow in unease and The Wolf wondered why they were even on the Tour if they were so afraid. But quickly she realized, that while the wife was upset and nervous, the husband was almost bored as if the news of missing persons hadn't bothered him a wit. 

"Honestly it's probably just people wandering off and losing the group!" The Husband groaned, "I've done it enough on these kinda tours! Never need help finding my way back either!"

The Doctor looked as if he wanted to roll his eyes at the man. 

"Now!" Theramin seemed to once again be the picture of customer service, "Let us begin the tour!" 

Guiding the group through the gardens Theramin began a lesson on the careful ecosystem the company that ran Zebiter had created within the Serinar Gardens.

The Wolf wished she could listen but instead focused on the task at hand by reaching into The Doctor's coat and pulling out his Sonic Screw driver. Flipping through the settings she could feel his amused gaze on her, finally she settled for a general scan for any residual energy.

Discreetly as she could, The Wolf scanned various areas of the gardens while The Doctor strayed just a bit from the tour path. It wasn't enough to be lost sight of, but it was enough to constitute a thorough search.

Jack seemed occupied with a band on his wrist which The Wolf assumed was some sort of tech from what eve Era he had come from, she was too far to really tell.

Suddenly, just as Jack was sidling back up to her, The Doctor shuffled back to the tour group and whispered to Jack and The Wolf, "Over by the Purluian Plumbs, theres a bit of a burnt taste. Almost like super heated copper."

"A Teleport Exchange?" The Wolf frowned as the sonic beeped in a particular pattern, "Apparently there's a disruptor field hiding the trail that covers the whole of Serinar Gardens."

The two Time Lords looked to Jack for his input, the man looked up from his wrist band that she could now Identify as a 51st century Vortex manipulator.

"Well if you can show me the trail I might be able to use this to figure out more about the Teleport Exchange and the Tech their using."

It was a risk, the group was moving away from the Purluian Plumbs and there was no way that they would be heading back in that direction, in the distance The Wolf could see a little shop that most likely contained the Garden's exit.

"Hand me your vortex manipulator." She demanded as they slowed their pace so as not to move too far from the Teleport Exchange's residue, "I'll go an check it out, you and The Doctor can wait for me in the shop."

"If anyone is going to stay behind it will be me." The Doctor looked her in the eyes, he was almost pleading, "I won't have you on your own."

Jack smiled at them as if he had a private joke, "Or maybe I can do it since it's my vortex manipulator."

With that he fell back and slunk off into the direction The Doctor had indicate the Purluian Plumbs were located.

She couldn't help but snort at the suddenness of Jack's declaration and actions, but really he had a good point. 

"Honestly," The Doctor frowned but there was no heat, "He seems over eager."

"Maybe because he wants to prove himself." The Wolf smiled, and The Doctor only seemed amused by that,

"I just hope he's not taken like the rest."

It was true, but it was also the reason Jack was the best option. In order to preserve the time loop, if one of them were taken and harmed the Captain was the best option since he was the furthest down in their collective timelines.

Of course it was an awful way to think but time had no master, and they couldn't afford the loop collapsing, especially if it was truly on top of another loop as Jack had said.

As the tour group entered the final stretch of the gardens The Wolf couldn't help but glance back once or twice, even though she was perfectly aware that Jack's uniqueness would make his approach obvious to her time senses.

The Doctor did his best to keep her calm and focused on pretending that nothing was amiss, and it did help even her keep her mind focused. Because there was so much, too much for her mind to process at the moment. 

Theramin droned on about this and that, privately, The Wolf couldn't help but think that the next time she toured the Gardens she would prefer The Doctor to tell her about the Ecosystem. He made ever subject come to life in a way that no teacher or tour guide ever had. 

Even if she had already known a fact, he was excellent at providing a more in depth point of view in relation to all the other things he had seen in his travels. A fresh and open minded perspective that saw the universe a one giant family that lived, breathed, and existed together.

It was so easy to think him magnificent, the way he tried his best to help people even when sometimes he failed, and while she was on the cusp of learning to love again, she was also going to lose him....

The Wolf shook herself from those thoughts. 

Too soon they reached the gift shop at the end of the tour and Theramin took an assessing glance over his group. It was a surprise then that he said nothing when Jack was rather glaringly absent.

"He knows." The Wolf whispered in surprise and The Doctor shook his head almost imperceptibly, 

"We can't jump to conclusions."

But if Theramin was unconcerned about a person missing from his group when there was a slew of disappearances, it didn't exactly bode well, he was either grossly neglectful or part of whatever was happening to the vanished victims.

They meandered in the shop and The Wolf kept trying to figure out what they were missing, there were so many gaps in information...

Breaking through her thoughts the sound of boots slamming into the floor reached her ears and the unique itch of Jack was rushing towards them at high speed. Both Time Lords looked at each other, then towards the Gardens.

Jack was running full tilt shouting, it was between a yell and a grunt as he rushed into the shop and practically screamed, "CLOSE THE SHOP'S BARRIER!" 

Swiftly The Wolf grabbed The Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver from it's place in his coat and pointed it to the security box that controlled the drop down barriers which closed the shop. Within seconds of Jack appearing in their line of sight a rather enormous droid emerged in aggressive pursuit.

The moment Jack cleared the gift shop's doorway The Wolf activated the sonic and dropped all of the barriers.

"What is that?!" The woman who had been on their tour shouted, "This is an android free zone! It says so in the brochure!"

"What's your name?" The Wolf tried to smile at her in comfort and the woman just looked at her confused, 

"Elba," She then gestured to the boy she had been carrying through the entire tour, "This is my son Phi."

"Right." The Wolf nodded, "Well Elba and Phi, I'm The Wolf and that droid has something to do with all the disappearances that have been happening lately."

The Droid slammed itself against the barrier as The Doctor assisted Jack to his feet, "Did you discover anything of value Captain?" 

Jack was about to speak when Elba's husband interjected, "Nonsense! Those people are fine! It's those stupid bureaucrats kicking up a fuss over nothing!"

The Wolf turned to him and frowned as Elba bowed her head in embarrassment and in almost a whisper said, "Shik please..."

The man, Shik apparently, waltzed up to the barrier and knocked on it, "That thing's just some sort of service droid! I won't be trapped in here because some stupid kids think having a good time means stirring up trouble for nothing."

"Shik is it?" The Wolf smiled as he nodded, "Shut up."

She then turned to Jack, "Did that thing hurt you?"

Jack did a spin and showed her the back of his coat, there was claw like rips all the way through to the skin of his back. Confirming her suspicions, his back was still smooth and unblemished despite the obvious attack.

"I got some good readings though," Jack turned back around rather satisfied with himself, "It's an extremely local feed so wherever they're transporting their victims its close."

"Can you feed the signal's data into the sonic?" The Doctor asked, his tone was distant and his mind was no doubt working over time. 

Her's was too.

If the feed was local.....

"The sonic should be able to reverse the feed, track it, or even activate it depending on how detailed the scan you retrieved is." The Wolf informed the Captain who was looking at her as if he was a proud father.

"Do you use the same software in all your sonics?" Jack addressed The Doctor and when the Time Lord replied in the affirmative the Captain made a rather adorable sound of joy, "Then absolutely! I can send a data package directly to you without any data conversions."

The Droid continued to slam on the barrier.

"This is enough!" Theramin spoke for the first time since Jack arrived, he seemed upset, but not panicked, "You can't just lock down an attraction! I have tours to give!"

"There are people missing!" The Wolf frowned at the tour guide in disbelief.

"Not to mention the killer robot outside of the barrier," Jack added rather testily as he sent the information to The Doctor's sonic.

It was surprising how quickly things were escalating considering how little they knew, The Wolf walked towards the Android that had attacked Jack an really looked at it.

"HA!" The Doctor suddenly exclaimed and she turned to look at him, the Time Lord held his Sonic Screwdriver aloft as if it was a mighty sword, "We're in luck! The feed leads here!" 

"Here?!" Jack frowned and The Wolf couldn't help but agree with the suspicion in his voice.

"Sir," Theramin approached The Doctor in exasperation, "I'm going to have to ask you to stop whatever it is you're dong! There is nothing going on here except you and your friends trapping us all in here!"

Rolling her eyes The Wolf would couldn't help but thinking she'd smack the man if she was a couple centuries younger. Her gaze turned to the family that had toured with them and while Elba seemed focused on trying to keep her son calm, Shik was fuming.

"If the Tour Guide says it's fine then it's fine!" Shik growled impatiently, "So let us out and I won't sue you all for kidnapping us!'

The Droid continued to bash itself against the barrier as The Doctor refined the search on his sonic.

"Yeah, no." Jack looked at the man in exasperation, "I will once again cite the killer robot."

"It didn't do you too bad." Shik reasoned and normally, yes that would be true, torn clothing wasn't that bad but...

"Jack is a special case," The Wolf informed him, "There's not much that can take him down, he's got superior cell regeneration."

"You know." Jack's voice was quiet as he turned to face The Wolf in surprise, as she gave him a sympathetic look. Her heart ached at his rather crestfallen expression.

"I suspected from the moment you ran into my time senses," The Wolf replied softly, "But the fact that you came back from that?"

She gestured to the Droid that was still belligerently attempting to break in, "I realized i was right."

"Got it!" The Doctor announced rather happily, before turning to her and Jack, "It's below us!"

Then he looked to the now extremely agitated tour guide, "Does there happen to be a basement in this little shop Theramin?"

"And why would I tell you?" The Tour guide crossed his arms, "You are all clearly just trying to start trouble!" 

"We're trying to find those missing people." The Wolf tried to make her own concern coat the words, "If you help us with this you could save all those people. How many have gone missing Theramin?"

It was Elba who answered, "13, there were 13 reported missing in the last 2 weeks."

"Thank you Elba." The Doctor gave her a nod and turned back to the tour guide, "We can help them if you just help us."

"This is nonsense!" Shik cried once more, "You lot are completely mad! If there is a reason to worry then the Security Crew is working on it!" 

Jack shot him a chilling look, "Yeah well the Security Crew has absolutely nothing on us."

Pinching the bridge of his nose Theramin let out a pained sigh, "FINE! Yes, there's a storage basement that we keep stock for the gift shop in, there's a door behind the register."

"Thank you." The Doctor gave him a smile but the tour guide shook his head,

"But you can't get back there! You'll need a key and only the stocker has it!"

The Wolf looped her arm through The Doctor's and felt a rush of hope at the new lead, "I think you'll find there are few doors that The Doctor can't open."

Pulling her closer the Time Lord gave her a smile before turning to Jack, "Captain, I'm going to have to ask you to stay here and make sure our friends don't do anything inadvisable."

Jack looked between them, then gave a nod, "Sure thing Doc, just take care of each other."

"Always." The Doctor replied, then he guided The Wolf towards the door behind the register that Theramin had told them about. It was a standard door and The Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver made quick work of the locking mechanism. 

Swinging opened, the door revealed a cubby area that was about 2 x 2 meters. The Wolf examined it quickly, "Having a lift is pretty convenient for the stocker."

She swept into the lift and The Doctor was close behind, he shut the door and pressed the button which would take them down.

The Doctor's voice was quite and sad when he suddenly spoke, "If Captain Jack is telling the truth and you knew a future me when you were still completely human-"

The Wolf cut him off, "Then I just need to find the version of you that corresponds with me and you'll find me again in your future."

"You know it's more complicated than that." The Doctor pulled her closer and wrapped an arm around her waist, but the Time Lord refused to look at her. The lift shuddered to a stop.

"After this is done we can go to a beach, sun, water, relaxation." The Wolf tried to sound optimistic, "Then we can talk about it."

Taking a breath he swallowed and gave a nod, the lift doors opened and the Time Lords were back on their mission.


	9. Zebiter: The Old Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so this chapter comes to a close and the mystery deepens

Hand in hand the duo entered the basement with extreme caution. There was still a chance this was a trap and that Theramin was part of whatever was causing those people to go missing.

Having Jack up top in the she shop was a plus, he could protect Elba, Shik, and Phi should anything go haywire.

It was rather dark so The Doctor spared a moment to dig through his transdimentional pocket, and pulled out a torch. Turning it on he ran the light over the area. The Basement was filled with crates and boxes of knickknacks labeled for delivery to the shop they were under.

The Wolf searched for a light switch at the entry way, she pulled away from The Doctor and carefully made her way to a wall. So as not to disturb any traps that may be hidden she practically tiptoed her way around the room until her eyes fell on a control panel that seemed touch activated.

Leaning over a box, The Wolf put her hand on the panel it was a rather common design for Zebiter so she pressed a few buttons, "I found the lights."

With that the basement flooded with light from several overhead fixtures that had been practically invisible in the dark. They turned on first by the lift then slowly but surely lit up the area that lay ahead.

The Wolf turned to her companion to see him switching off his torch and slipping it back into his rather enviable pocket. She would have to find a coat that she could wear everywhere and give it the same treatment.

As the lights revealed the area that stretched out before them, The Wolf rejoined The Doctor and took his hand. Turning her eyes forward she caught sight of a glint of metal as the lights flooded into the very back of the basement.

"Well that looks different." The Doctor smiled and with a nod the duo made their way to the back of the room all while maintaining the same caution as before.

She saw what was causing the light refraction before she reached it. There were several pods lined up along the sides of the basement, above each of them was a monitor that displayed the vital signs of no doubt whatever was in the pods.

It was strange and she couldn't help but frown as The Doctor pulled ahead of her and began scanning the pods with his Sonic Screwdriver.

The technology was niggling at the back of her head, part of her recognized it but couldn't quite suss out where it was from. The Wolf turned her attention to the monitors readings.

A hissing noise caused her to turn around and she found that The Doctor had opened the viewing window on the pod. The Window allowed them to see almost the entire top half of the interior. What they found stopped her short.

The pod which The Doctor had opened contained a man, judging by his appearance he was a human hybrid with Catkind heritage. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully with a machine attached to his chest.

A sense of alarm filled her at the sight, and The Wolf had to take a look at the readings of his pod to be sure, "Doctor, these aren't his vitals."

The Doctor turned his attention from where he was doing a deeper scan of the man towards the readings on the monitor above his pod.

He then frowned.

"I keep thinking the technology of the pods are familiar." The Wolf confessed.

"Because you've read about them at The Academy," The Doctor turned to her, his face was sad, "These are Hortian incubator pods."

Suddenly she felt sick.

"They can't all be dead." The Wolf couldn't help the denial, "There has to at least on of them that hasn't been seeded."

She took in the sight of all the pods, there were 20, 10 on each side of the basement wall. It made her heart ache to think that there was no one they could save that had already been taken.

The Doctor came over to her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, gently he places a kiss to top of her head. The basic link they shared buzzed between them as a reassurance she wasn't alone.

The Wolf hugged him back.

"There are 20 incubation pods." The Doctor confirmed as he gently pulled away, "And that means with 13 missing people there ar 7 of these that are empty."

"7 people who we can prevent this happening to." The Wolf took a breath, that would do. That would have to be enough this time.

With great determination The Doctor took her hand once more and they made their way back to the lift in order to regroup with Jack.

But, as they approached it, the lift opened to reveal Theramin. The tour guide wore the same expression one would expect a child would when they were told they would have to cut a play-date short.

"Where's Jack?" The Wolf demanded, it was clear now that they were correct in their assumptions regarding Theramin.

"Dead." Theramin spoke as if he was exhausted, "Honestly one would think that being told to leave well enough alone by a member of staff, that the guests would listen."

"I was never quite the listening type." The Doctor replied, his voice was cold and hard. The Wolf couldn't help but think he sounded like the calm before the storm.

"Tell me, what did you do with the other guests?"

"Shik wanted the barriers opened," Theramin gave a rather smug smile, "I only what any guide would do and filled his request."

The Doctor's hand tightened around her's.

There was a small ember of hope in The Wolf's heart that Jack had been able to save them, but she wasn't sure how his fixed status worked. If he lived through everything or died then came back, perhaps there were even more ways it could work. Gallifrey had never encountered the like and neither had she.

"Leave this planet," The Doctor commanded, "Take your unborn children and leave here at once or we will be forced to stop you."

"They're not mine! " Theramin laughed, "But I still don't see the appeal in the offer! I'm getting paid plenty by my employers to deal with a few trouble makers like you.

"This is just the beginning, soon every basement in the Human Sector of Zebiter will be outfitted for Hortian use. I'll be so rich I could probably buy a planet to retire to."

With that he pulled out a small energy gun from his coat, "And you'll be dead like your friend so really all your threats and posturing is for nothing."

The Wolf closed her eyes and felt the time flowing around her, then she willed it to stop. The Doctor's eyes widened a fraction, slowing time was a high energy task after all.

It only lasted 2 seconds but the halt was enough for her to reach into The Doctor's coat and grab his sonic. The moment time restarted she pointed it towards the light above Theramin and cause it to short circuit and explode in a shower of sparks.

The tour guide cried out and covered himself, allowing The Wolf to grab The Doctor's hand and drag him towards the lift.

Once they were in she tossed him the Screwdriver and he used it to lock the controls into a sonic cage and bring them back up into the shop.

"That was brilliant!" The Doctor tossed her a grin.

"But now we have to figure out what we're going to do with those incubation pods." She frowned in thought, of course there was the most logical solution but...

"We'll have to destroy them." The Doctor was solemn, "They'll keep seeding this planet and killing these people if we don't."

Article 59 of The Shadow Proclamation forbid the invasion of a Pleasure Planet and according to Article 19 Seeding a Planet without official contract constituted an invasion.

She swallowed back the bitterness she felt at having to destroy the children that hadn't even asked to be seeded into sentient life. But Theramin had chosen not to take the offer, so it had to be done.

"Right."

The lift doors hissed opened and a shriek pierced the room. Shik was cradling Phi in his arms, the boy seemed to have been the one to cry out at the sight of the lift.

The sight before them was tragic, the only barrier that had been lifted was the Droid's access to the shop. And while the Droid lay smoking on the floor, Elba lay next to it, lifeless.

The Doctor and The Wolf immediately turned to Jack, who had completely abandoned his coat, his shirt too was barely on and badly singed.

"Theramin got me from behind." The Captain seemed to carry the weight of guilt, "I came to and she was already dead."

The Wolf kneeled down and adjusted the woman to look as if she was only sleeping on her back with her hands folded on her belly, then as gently as she could she closed the now dead woman's eyes and then stood once more by The Doctor's side. Greif and guilt over the loss rolled in her stomach, she had to look at Shik and Phi to remind herself there were still others to save.

"You stopped the droid." The Doctor observed Jack then brandished a compact laser deluxe,

"Emergency use only. Please tell me that guy is trapped down there."

"Sonic locked." The Wolf gestured to the elevator, "That basement is full of Hortian Incubator Pods."

Jack's face crumpled in confusion, "What's a Hortian?"

"A race that is a very long way from home." The Doctor replied as he and The Wolf fully entered the shop once more, "Hortian infants are parasitic, they're be planted into a host and use their organs like an unhatched chick uses it's yolk."

" When they'r done with that, they'll be large enough to consume their host's flesh." The Wolf finished, "There's 20 pods, 13 already have full seeded hosts in them."

"The best we can do is destroy the pods, the shop with it." The Doctor began scanning the area for assets.

The Wolf followed suite, "We can probably overload the pods but that's almost impossible to do remotely."

"Do we need to evacuate them?" Jack gestured towards the outside, towards the other resort guests.

"The attractions that are close by probably, not the whole section." The Wolf replied for him as The Doctor seemed to zero in on the downed Android.

The Doctor ripped open the Droid, "Wolf, help me gut this."

Quickly she joined him , he was probably trying to find some complimentary tech in order to make overloading the pods easier.

Gently she shoved The Doctor aside, "Move, you're not going to find it in the back."

The Doctor looked at her incredulously but moved, The Wolf then instructed him to aid her in rolling it over. Having the Droid face up, she once again, rather gingerly, stole The Doctor's Screwdriver and ripped opened the front plate.

Almost casually she reached in with her free hand, shoving it through wires and various bits. It wasn't long before she could feel what she was looking for, grabbed it and yanked it free from the Droid rather forcefully and waved it in front of The Doctor's face.

A Hortian power crystal happily nestled in it's chamber.

The Time Lord's face split into a wild grin and she couldn't help but reply to his contagious joy with a tongue touched smile of her own.

"Nice!" Jack jeered after giving a low whistle.

Before The Doctor could take it, Jack himself reached for the chamber and took it from her grasp, "So all I have to do is attached this to the pod's power source and make a feed back loop, then boom?"

"Right." The Wolf nodded and turned to look at The Doctor for objections.

"Jack-" He started but the Captain cut him off,

"I'm the only one here who can survive this with my face intact. It's probably why I'm here in the first place."

She suddenly felt guilty, that she had sent him to die. It must have shown on her face as Jack turned to her and smiled, "Wolf, don't feel bad. I'd gladly die for you and The Doctor a million times over."

"I'll show you the power source," The Doctor declared, "But you'll have to set up the over load."

He turned to The Wolf, "You know what to do."

She gave a nod and then hugged him as if her life depended on it, he returned with equal feeling. When she pulled away she gave him a kiss along his jaw. It was 'I Love You' without words.

Jack surprisingly hugged her as well, when he was done he gave her a nod, "See you in hell."

With that the Captain and The Doctor went to the lift. Once the doors were closed she went to the security system and dropped the barriers, "Shik, take Phi as far from here as you can. Tell the other guests to get away as well."

"Who are you people?" Shik seemed shaken to the core at all that had happened.

"We're help." She smiled at him, "Now go."

With that the barriers fell and both of them moved out of the shop. It felt like it had been ages since she'd been in the main walkways of Zebiter, even if her time senses told her it had really only been an hour.

The Wolf move quickly to every nearby shop and attraction saying, "This is an emergency evacuation, security has detected a power overload in one of the generators for this section!"

It was enough to get a few people moving and when the first explosion went off, everyone else followed suite.

Her basic link to The Doctor told her that he was somewhere nearby, but close enough that he was no longer below in the basement when the last chain of explosions sounded through the area.

Fire and smoke began blooming out of the Serinar Garden's shop and several members of security made their way to investigate the ruckus.

But the area was mostly cleared.

Closing her eyes she felt for her link to The Doctor and followed it, she found him watching the fire from a safe distance with plenty of other onlookers. His face was closed and saddened.

It reflected perfectly how she felt.

Slowly she approached him and slipped her hand into his, "Jack?"

"I haven't seen him." The Doctor replied.

"Theramin?"

"Jack knocked him unconscious when we reached the basement."

"Right."

He turned to her then, "Let's go home."

She gave him a smile of approval.

They made their way hand in hand to the TARDIS, it was a slow walk with the heavy thoughts finally finding a place between them.

Upon reaching their destination both Time Lords halted in surprise.

Captain Jack was leaning against the TARDIS, his coat completely gone and so was his shirt. But his slacks were only singed in the bottoms as well as a few small holes, his boots were still intact.

"Well looks like that's that then." He smiled smugly at their expressions.

"What are you?" The Doctor was incredibly baffled at the turn of events and The Wolf threw herself at the impossible man.

Jack caught her in a hug as she laughed almost bitterly at getting to see him again.

They'd had better days but this one was half decent enough.


	10. [Interlude] The Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a bit in between where they get to think about what is all happening

Jack placed his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes, he was serious and earnest all at once as if he was about to beg something of her.

"I love you," He finally said, "I love you so much Wolf, you need to remember that because when you remember me, you can't come looking for me and when you find me... "

He cut himself off and looked out to the sea. 

The two of them were sitting in the sands of a beach on a little planet called Evernesia. As agreed The Doctor took The Wolf somewhere with sand, and with a little convincing he also brought Jack along.

According to the human, he would be meeting his version of The Wolf once the two Time Lords left.

The two of them were building a sandcastle because she hadn't done it since she was a child, and so Jack was wearing light blue swim trunks and a pair of sunglasses were perched on his head. 

As for her she was in a two piece red swimsuit with an orange wrap tied around her waist. The Wolf was piling sand into her red bucket until her new yet old friend had started speaking.

His sandy hands were getting grains on her shoulders as he turned back to look her in the eye, "Just remember what I said the last time I saw you and The Doctor before everything got all turned around."

The Wolf tried to give him a comforting smile, they had all been avoiding talking about what needed to be done. Running terrified in the other direction, but Jack was right, she would have to face it eventually.

"I'll try Jack." She sighed touched his hand, there was a buzz as their fingers met. Jack was mildly telepathic, according to him he was from the 51st century and to The Wolf that meant his slight telepathy was normal and nothing to be concerned about. 

"But I'm terrified. Who am I if not this?" 

"You have 348 years of memories," Jack replied as he pulled his hands back to shaping their rather impressive castle, "Those are still you, you're just missing about 3 years that's nothing for a Time Lord."

"But I was human." The Wolf let her nerves show, "What if it changes everything?"

"Then that's you too." Jack said easily, "Knowing you as well as I do, I doubt there's anything too bad in there. Besides, what if it changes everything for the better?"

His eyes drifted to the Doctor who was lounging in a beach chair under an umbrella and reading a The Time Machine. Her eyes found him too and her hearts clenched at the sight of him.

The Wolf turned back to her friend, "Whats that supposed to mean?!" 

"You know I can't say too much." Jack replied with a sigh, and The Wolf had to accept that if she wanted all her answers she should have to find them herself.

"Right." The Wolf sighed and examined their castle, it was lovely and it had been fun to build. Sand and sun, that's what she had asked for, somewhere to relax before they had to talk about everything. 

But it was still there, like an itch under her skin and now that she knew it was there The Wolf couldn't forget it.

"How long?" The Wolf asked, "Please, It's the only thing I absolutely need to know from you: How long is it for The Doctor before he meets me properly?"

Jack's face closed off and his eyes were suddenly sad, "I was wondering why you told me."

"How long Jack?" 

"His body after this one is the one he met you in," Jack finally answered, "It's going to be a really long time for him Wolf, and it's going to be rough but he finds you and you make it better just by being you."

He looked as if he wanted to say more but didn't, The Wolf felt like all the air had been sucked out of her. It hurt, to know he was going to have to forget her, forget all of this, and then he would have to wait until he regenerated again to meet her.

It was unfair that he had to wait even longer than that to reunite with this her. 

Right, that's what she had to think about, there was probably a Doctor waiting for her at the end of all this too. He was waiting for her to come back. 

Then this Doctor would find her properly and start the loop again while she and him went back to their travels.

It felt like a lie and that hurt so much.

"Thank you." was what she finally found the strength to say to him. Jack gave a small smile then grabbed her hand in order to haul her to her feet as he asked,

"You ever learned to surf?"

"No but it sounds fantastic!" The Wolf gave a genuine grin and that was how they passed the rest of their day in the sun. Playing in the water while The Doctor lounged reading a book. 

The Wolf wasn't a fool however, and could see the Time Lord sneak an occasional glance at the pair as they messed about in the water.

Her superior sense of balance allowed her to get the hang of riding the board quicker than she supposed a human would, it all seemed familiar though. As if she had done this exact thing before.

The words 'Nothing is ever truly forgotten, if something can be remembered it can be brought back' came into her head. Her memories weren't completely present, but perhaps they were only hidden and bubbling beneath the surface.

That would explain many of her feelings and reactions towards a few, supposedly, new experiences she'd faced on her travels with The Doctor.

In the end, learning to surf with Jack was a wonderful time that she would cherish for years to come.

The trio made their way back to the hotel they rented slowly, Jack needed dinner and was perfectly content to head out to the hotel's combination bar and restaurant alone. 

So while they all went up to their rooms Jack said his goodbyes, and it felt final.

As for the Time Lords, they were perfectly willing to share a room seeing as neither of them were willing to sleep anywhere but the TARDIS and were content to order room service if they needed to.

The Wolf rinsed the sand from the day off her skin and managed to change into a loose t-shirt and a pair of baggy pajama pants that she found on the TARDIS. 

While The Doctor took his turn in the shower she pulled out her tote she'd brought with her and dug through it until she found the book she'd brought with her. 

It didn't take the Time Lord long to come out of the washroom in his own pair of pajama pants and an undershirt. 

Rather lazily The Doctor joined her on the Queen size bed they'd been given and leaned his back against the headboard before turning to her, "Enjoying your book?"

"I would be if I wasn't thinking about a thousand other things," She sighed and closed it, reading was futile at this point really. Taking in the text was easy but it was hardly an immersive experience with all the background noise of her thoughts.

"Mostly what Jack's told me about my past... Your future..."

"You want to leave." The Doctor's voice was quiet and sad, she would move the universe and burn out stars to change it if she could.

"You still have to find me." The Wolf couldn't help that she sounded as if she was about to cry because the fact was she was poised to. Her eyes were burning with unshed tears.

"And I wouldn't really be leaving, I might just be heading right back to you."

"You don't know that." The Time Lord replied too quickly, "What if you and he have already parted ways and said goodbye?"

"Then we have," The Wolf tried to sound strong but she was failing, "And if I can restore my memories then maybe I'll even understand."

The Doctor looked as convinced as she felt, that was to say he appeared full of misery and discontent. 

"And what if he doesn't love you like I do?" 

It was like a punch to the stomach for him to say those words, The Wolf had convinced herself it wasn't possible and just shoved it aside. She had convinced herself he was only affectionate with her since he was so used to traveling with humans.

Then again...

A Time Lord never spoke of love and there were a myriad forms of it, she had to be sure, she needed him to say it.

"And how is that?" The Wolf's voice shook with nerves, it was obvious what answer she was hoping for. The feeling in her hearts for him were a thousand times stronger than anything she felt before.

The Doctor closed his eyes and opened them slowly as he pressed his forehead to hers, "Tell me you know that I think your the most brilliant woman in the universe, that I was already half in love with you a week into your stay on the TARDIS.

"That I only held back because you are so young, and we were supposed to have hundreds of years just to be like this."

"I didn't know." The Wolf confessed as her chest constricted and released in such overwhelming joy, "I may be a Time Lady but I'm still plenty human, I thought-"

She had to swallow back her emotions, "I thought I was being silly, falling for someone so much older than me. 

"And if I ever thought you even could, I told myself that we couldn't. No Time Lord would bond us and you'd be treated with such disrespect....

"I couldn't do that to you Doctor."

"I don't care what the Time Lords think." He confessed and gave her a dazzling smile, "Maybe when I was younger I would have, but not now. 

"I care little for the Politics of our people and the puffed up opinions of the ancient council. 

"You're an adult by both of your species standard, and you really gave me no other choice than to love you Wolf. It was all a bit unfair.

"And what more, you still haven't told me that you feel the same, implied yes but I'm sitting in suspense here."

Huffing a laugh at his nervous tone she reached her hand out to touch his face and kissed him. It was a gentle meeting of lips and then, ever so gently The Doctor reached back to touch her own face.

Instantly their minds that had almost always only buzzed around, and brushed against each other bled together like the colors of a water color painting.

The Wolf could feel The Doctor's unbound joy, his brilliant and fresh blooming love along with the first sparks of unwavering devotion and loyalty. Every bit of his feelings for the Time Lady mixed in with the emotions he evoked in herself.

Love that was unbreaking and impossibly steady, bound to him by the golden chains of understanding and respect. 

Their feelings reflected in each other until they felt the culmination of it all in a wave of contentment.

When they parted both of them laughed at the silliness of it all. How they had both been afraid, how foolish it seemed in the face of such powerful emotions.

"I love you Doctor." The Wolf laughed, her joy overwhelming, "I love you so much I can't imagine not finding you and loving you.

"It aches to think of us apart."

"I don't want you to go." The Time Lord pleaded, it was hoarse and he sounded close to tears, "I don't want to forget you and I don't want this to end."

"We have to go back to Gallifrey." The Wolf replied and she knew what she really wanted was to pour her love into him, but she didn't' want him to regret her. 

She didn't want a future him to have grown past this feeling and look unkindly upon their time together when he remembered.

Part of her wanted to be selfish and have him completely at that very moment but her affection and concern for him won out.

Pulling away only to tuck her into his side, The Doctor rested his cheek on the top of her head, minds pleasantly buzzing together, "The last time you spoke of going back you said you'd rather die without regenerating so please excuse me for asking why in all of time and space you would suddenly want to go there."

"They have to know why I don't remember you," The Wolf replied, "After all, the last human memory was from when i was 16.

"Jack said he knew me when I was 19, so something is missing and someone on Gallifrey is bound to know, they're the ones who changed me after all."

"Romana would know." The Doctor sighed, she was Madam President after all, "I'd get to ask her why in the seven hells she would allow whatever happened to you to come to pass.

"And you'd get to go straight to the source."

"Madam Romana was always nice to me," The Wolf confessed, "I think she was trying to make up for how I was being treated, even if she still allowed it and kept me from knowing why."

"Then we'll go to Gallifrey." The Doctor conceded.

"I'm still afraid." The Wolf pressed herself into his side, "What if they don't let me leave? What if-"

"I promised I'd protect you from them." The Doctor kissed the top of her head, "And I intend to keep that promise no matter what."

It was comforting to have those words from him, and while she was still nervous, terrified even, it was enough to know he was on her side.

So why did she feel so terrified of losing him?


	11. Gallifrey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im really nervous about this last set of chapters.
> 
> This last serlt of 3 chaps is where the 'Time Lords Are The Worst' tag really comes into play....

When morning came they ate breakfast, in almost silence.

There was a heaviness in the air as they sat together, not knowing their future. No Time Lord could outrun time, not really but for the moment they were content to just be together for the precious few hours they had left.

But, for The Wolf, there were things The Doctor still needed to know. Things she still felt she had to tell him,

"Doctor, do you think they'll still want me to marry him? The Time Lord they'd betrothed me to?"

"It depends on who he was, how eligible, or even how determined his family was to have you." The Doctor replied cautiously, it was obviously a subject he wasn't keen to discuss. But still it needed to be.

"It was Cardinal Braxiatel's grandson,"The Wolf sighed," The Cardinal was my sponsor and he was trying to help in his own way, to get the council to see me as a true member of Lungbarrow."

The Doctor, who had been about to take a sip of his morning tea, sputtered and had to cover his mouth with a handkerchief before taking a breath.

"Is something wrong?" The Wolf teased at the outburst, sure The Cardinal was stuffy and so was his family but it he was still on the more progressive side.

"If i'd had been a little less led by my heart, a little more pragmatic, I probably could have been happy to marry a stranger in order to gain freedom from the Council." The Time Lady reasoned,

"I mean marrying into Prydon is the best option for even a Gallifreyan Time Lord, not many get the chance."

Really any connection she had to Lungbarrow, and by extension Prydon, was on the grace of the Cardinal's sponsorship. Even then society only considered her Lungbarrow's charity case, taken because the High Council had some sort of need of her.

Seemingly gathering himself The Doctor shook his head and if he were human his expression would have him looking green, "I am well aware of Cardinal Braxiatel's family, he is my brother after all."

The declaration was a bit awkward and The Doctor was clearly doing his best to not sound as shocked and upset as he probably felt.

There was a sick feeling forming in her stomach at that new bit of information.

She had to take a moment in her mind to process it. If she had failed to escape, or even if she had resigned herself to a life stuck day after day in the same place, to never see her own mother gain, then The Wolf would have been married to The Doctor's great Nephew.

It was like reaching out to the dark as she stretch out her hand across the table. His hand found hers and their fingers tangled.

Wouldn't that have been cruel of fate and time?

Could she ever have known? Probably not, there was the sudden echo of a timeline that never was and it was cold and tragic.

The Wolf did not dare touch it, she closed her eyes.

It hadn't happened, she was here with a Time Lord who filled her hearts with so much love she was fit to burst.

"I'm glad." She smiled at him, "That I'm far more stubborn than he expected."

With that he laughed and she could feel his mind flutter against her's through their skin to skin contact. It was lovely.

And they were not going to be able to do this again, not like this.

No, if she returned to her proper place in time then she would be in the middle or past the end of her relationship with him. The Wolf hoped for the first.

"Well either way it's immaterial." The Doctor tightened his grip on her hand in a gesture of comfort, "You are a renegade, they couldn't force me to be President and they cannot force you to marry."

It was nice to remember that, The Wolf huffed out a laugh, "Right, I've run away once I'll do it again if I have to!"

The shared a smile as she gave a nod, "I'm ready then I think, no time like the present after all."

His expression was tight as he agreed, "As long as you're ready then let us be on our way."

Finishing their food, the two took their time and finally they slowly meandered back to the TARDIS. Both knowing what had to come, both not wanting it all to end, even if he would find her again, there was no guarantee she would be returning to him.

There was too much in the surprisingly short span of 2 years that The Wolf could not remember.

They entered the TARDIS and The Wolf could feel the TARDIS sing to her as if it was a bitter sweet moment, and who knew better than a ship that existed trans-temporally?

The Doctor sent a message to Madam President Romana, it was to arrive a day before they were, it was to inform her of his desire for an audience. The Doctor was her friend and she would grant it no doubt, and no need for a reply.

Together the two Time Lords worked, dancing around the console an piloting the TARDIS back to where all The Wolf's answers would hopefully be, back to the burnt orange planet that they both were quite hesitant to call home.

When they landed they both exchanged a glance, The Wolf knew it was time to put on a brave an unafraid face. It would not do to show fear or reluctance before the Time Lords of Gallifrey, but she would be fine, she was sure.

After all wasn't she The Wolf?

The TARDIS was positioned in a landing station within the Mighty Glass Dome of the Capitol. If The Wolf was to get any answers, she would have to face the Lady President Romana and the best place to find the other Time Lady was in Gallifrey's first city.

Her gaze took in the city she had spent the greatest amount of time in, it was a magnificent as she remembered, the Glass Dome refracted sunlight and sparkled like a gemstone between the mountains of Solace and Solitude.

The Citadel itself loomed over the Capitol, mighty and glorious. Grand skyscrapers stretched out across the horizon and The Wolf could even mentally track her path to the Gardens she had worked in, even from her place at the entryway of the city.

Orange like fire lilies, the endless sky stretched out beyond even the horizon, the twin suns shined even on those who lived outside the dome in Low Town and Mid Town.

Taking a breath she could taste and smell every piece of this particular home that she missed while on Kry-Stal.

It's not that she had forgotten how beautiful the planet that had adopted her was, it was that somewhere in her heart she had convinced herself she could never ever return to it.

The Doctor gave her a smile and she did her best to return it as she reveled in being on Gallifrey once more.

Together they made their way towards the Citadel, to the Audience Chamber of the great Madam President. It was almost difficult for The Wolf not to reach out and hold his hand, but she was willing to play by the rules of Gallifrey for now.

As they reached the great doors of the Citadel, the Chancellery Guards stopped them, The Doctor informed them of their scheduled visit and after a quick check, the two were let through into the great entry hall.

Immediately a member of the Chancellery Guard arrived, but he was no average guard, the Time Lord was clearly decorated as Commander, and incredibly, he smiled brightly in a way that reached into the depths of his sea green eyes. The Wolf hadn't seen a Time Lord that wasn't The Doctor show such depth of emotion.

He was a Time Lord though, the instant basic link that brightened between her and the Commander made that clear.

"Andred!" The Doctor smiled as if seeing an old friend, and he probably was.

"Doctor." Andred greeted warmly, "I was sent to escort you and apparently Epsilon Nu to the Madam president, she claimed that she did not wish for you to get into more trouble than you needed to."

"Why I can see Leela has been working wonders on you!" The Doctor teased before turning to The Wolf, "This is Andred, he is actually married to one of my former companions."

The way it was said implied that the companion was human, and that was enough for The Wolf to think better of him than she did most Time Lords, "It's wonderful to meet you but I no longer go by Epsilon Nu, I'm The Wolf now."

Andred's eyes widened and he gave an understanding nod, "I'll announce you as such when we enter the President's Audience Chamber then."

The Time Lord then turned on his heel and gestured for them to follow as he led them to their destination,

"When you're done with your duties here, you should visit my home, Lady Romana will no doubt be telling my wife about your visit and Leela will be quite upset if you and The Wolf don't at least say hello."

"If we can manage, we will." The Doctor replied and cast a glance at The Wolf, "But I may return alone at a later date depending on what occurs here today."

Andred seemed to understand The Doctor rarely came to Gallifrey, most renegades never returned, and when he did it was either against his will or because he was on some sort of mission.

And for The Doctor to be on a mission for Gallifrey it meant there where great stakes.

It was a walk filled with conversation on how Andred and Leela spent their days, how they cared for their children and which ones had been accepted into The Academy.

Normally The Wolf would have desired to partake in the conversation but she was busy steeling herself to face Romana, the one member of the Council who had been kind and yet still allowed all that transpired.

The Wolf simply took comfort in the fact that she was in good company.

Finally they reached the grand doors of the President's Audience Chamber which were readily opened by the Guards stationed the moment Andred gave the order.

The trio entered the chamber, the ceilings were vaulted and ornately decorated to remind visitors just how long the history og Gallifrey really was.

"I Present to Madam President the Lady Romana, The Doctor and The Wolf." Andred announced then gave a customary and shallow bow to the Madam President who was seated atop a Throne Like chair that was located on platform with ornate steps.

There were several other chairs, no doubt for days the Coucil decided that there were audiences important enough for all of them to b present. It made The Wolf burn in anger that they had all spent so long controlling her life and yet none of them but Romana came for this.

Unless...

"Thank you Andred, that will be all." President Romana's voice was like bells. Her hair was onyx black and curled tightly, and her skin was a brown which served to make her copper colored eyes rather striking.

This was not the Romana that The Wolf knew, so she had regenerated in the 12 years since they had last seen one another. It made sense, the form The Wolf knew had grown old and had seen many years.

Andred, having done his job, spared them a parting glance and then made his exit from the chambers.

"Doctor, you didn't say you were bringing a friend." Romana seemed to be holding back surprise at the sight of The Wolf.

"I did not wish for an audience when my friend made her case o you." The Doctor sounded rather smug, a little too smug to be talking to an old friend. It was laced with something dangerous.

The Wolf wanted to laugh! No wonder the council hadn't come to take back their creation, The Doctor had left her out of the note.

Romana let out a sigh, it was almost painfully exhausted, "Doctor, I'm not your enemy, aren't we friends?"

"Yes." The Doctor replied, "But this isn't about me."

He took a step back and motioned for The Wolf to step forward, this was her moment.

"So you've returned then," Roman observed, "After only 12 years, you've even taken a Renegade title."

"I've only returned for answers," The Wolf replied evenly, "There are key parts to beginning of my life missing."

"And what if I cannot give you them?" Romana asked, her tone would sound superior if it wasn't for the fact that she was the President, "What if they are too dangerous? What if the Council does not allow it?"

"I refuse to leave until I know why I am what I am." The Wolf declared, "I will stand here until I know what was taken or I turn to stone and am carried off by time itself."

The Wolf could feel The Doctor tense behind her, but her anger was burning. He knew every single thing he had ever done, he knew that one day he would find her again. But her? She knew only her life until she was 16, trapped and afraid in life that was going nowhere on Earth, then the same could be said of her life on Gallifrey.

A life in a gilded cage.

Her future too, where was she headed? It was all tied up in who she had been.

Every moment of any being's life contributed to who they were, and while two years were normally nothing for a Time Lord, these were two apparently key years of The Wolf's life that were missing.

"There may be things you don't actually want to remember," President Romana cautioned and it made The Wolf's rage burn, being talked to as if she was a Gallifreyan child of 90 instead of an Adult Time Lady of 350.

"Regardless," The Wolf stood tall, refusing to back down, "They are my memories to regret or desire.

"Am I not a Time Lady? Am I not permitted to make such requests regarding my selfhood?"

It seemed for a moment as if Romana was about to refuse but her gaze drifted over The Wolf's shoulder to The Doctor. The silence that hovered over them in the Audience Chamber was almost heavier than The Wolf could take.

The Chamber doors rattled, causing The Wolf and The Doctor to turn only to see them burst open as Cardinal Braxiatel stormed in, "Where is she?!"

He seemed to carry hell on his heels and The Doctor stepped between the Cardinal and The Wolf, "This is a Private hearing Brax."

The Doctor was tense from the play between Romana and The Wolf, the Cardinal's entrance was just another layer of drama in the story that had yet to finish unfolding.

Braxiatel's eye landed on The Doctor and all the fight seemed to leave him, "So you've met her then? You just couldn't leave it alone!"

"Cardinal." Romana interrupted his tirade, "We were discussing the matter's involving The Wolf's biology and her missing memories."

The chamber doors shuttered to a close and the Cardinal looked to Romana, then to The Wolf who was halfway hidden behind The Doctor.

"Of course." Braxiatel seemed to resign himself, "But as her sponsor I have aright to be present."

"Your claim is legitimate." President Romana declared and no one could argue, not if they wanted the case heard.

"First I must acknowledge that the Council has treated you as an outsider," Romana began, "Even though you are a full Time Lady, a rank certified by your full education within The Academy.

"Now, though I was not prepared for this turn of events, I acknowledge your rank as belonging to us as a fostered Child of Gallifrey, and as such I permit you to ask your questions."

It was far from an apology but it was all The Wolf was going to get, she knew that even if it burned between her hearts like a smoldering ember.

"Why?' The Wolf did her best to demand while maintaining her decorum, "Why did you take me and turn me into this? The other Time Lords whisper about me, they call me an Abomination against the founders and the Guardians themselves.

"So why would the Time Lords who sit as silent watchers of the Universe, break their so called vigil and take a human girl just to turn her into this?"

The Doctor strained in his place beside her, and she wished for a moment that he would touch her, comfort her.

Braxiatel grew tense and Romana looked as if she would be rubbing her temples if she was less of a Time lady.

"We did nothing to you." Romana spoke and it sounded like a confession, it was dark and it grew something cold in The Wolf's heart, "The Celestial Intervention Agency received a Hypercube from a Time Lady named Epsilon Nu.

"All it contained, besides her name, was her temporal and Galactic coordinates. When the CIA Officers arrived they found you, in a Future Doctor's TARDIS."

The President looked almost lost in thought now, but she continued with her tale that was causing more and more questions and fears to arise,

"The Doctor wasn't present, but that became immaterial when they discovered that you were genetically unstable. You were morphing from a human into what you are now at such a rate your body could not keep up.

"So we brought you to Gallifrey to stabilize you, but the changes that had already occurred were too much for the standard Grafts that would be given to Human Time Lords that were set to enter the Academy.

"All we could do was keep you safe and stable for whatever you were turning into."

The Wolf stopped her with a question as the ice in her chest began to grow and seep into her bones, "Those who worked on me claimed I was to be kept safe for the days to come..."

"The Seers who were present at the arrival of your Hypercube," The President explained, "They determined you were fixed and your future was our future, Time itself demanded we save you and keep you secure."

The Doctor's jaw grew tight and The Wolf was beginning to feel emptier and emptier as she asked another question,

"So you locked me up? You trapped me in a cage and called it a home, only to release me when I needed to attend The Academy?

"And after that just for me to tend the TARDIS Nursery? Why? If I was so important why keep me like prisoner?"

"We were only trying to keep you safe," Cardinal Braxiatel spoke for the first time since his arrival, "The Council deemed you too unknown to allow freedom, but the Seers claimed you needed to attend Academy and become a Time Lady.

"You know Romana and I did our best but-"

"By trying to marry her off to a complete stranger?!" The Doctor was the first one to shout, his rage simmering below his skin and his hands clenched into fists at his sides,

"You kept her miserable! The Wolf may be a Time Lady but you forget that she isn't Gallifreyan! Not completely, she is still so human and you just-"

He cut himself off and looked to her, his eyes sad, it was clear that his hearts were breaking at the thought of her so alone and discarded by society to be used at some unspecified later date in some unknown future.

"You just left her there waiting for centuries, not knowing why or even how," The Doctor turned to the others once more, "You should have put her back where you found her, in her proper time."

He was right but also wrong, Jack had said they were in a Time Loop and that meant she had to stay right where they had left her in order to live this or else the loop would collapse. And depending on it's location in the Web Of Time it could be disastrous, at the very least it would need rearranging by the Time Lords to keep the Web stable.

But there was also another reason that The Doctor was probably ignoring, one he refused to even think about because it would be too cruel, too bleak.

"They thought I'd killed you." The Wolf said it, the one thing they all refused to speak, "They probably also believed that you did this to me somehow in order to stop whatever it was I killed you over."

The Doctor turned back to her and The Wolf met his eyes, before she looked to the others. Braxiatel looked almost stone and resolute while Romana seemed to simply close her eyes and open them.

"That maybe that's what memories are missing." The Wolf continued, "That's why they didn't just let me off into the universe, why the only option for my freedom was to marry me off.

"At least then I wouldn't be leaving Gallifrey." The Wolf swallowed back the ice cold emptiness she was feeling,

"Because my memories aren't really gone." The confession was to herself as well as the other three Time Lords.

"What?" The Doctor looked confused, not betrayed but it was a close thing, because he understood her phrasing was important, what it meant. Braxiatel seemed unsurprised and Romana simply agreed,

"When you were stabilizing, you regenerated for the first time." The President seemed tired, "It was highly traumatic for your mostly human body, and your memories were hidden by the process for later review.

"There is a no doubt a trigger in your mind like most Post Regenerative Amnesia that will allow you to remember."

"I have to enter the TARDIS in my proper timeline." The Wolf realized, "When I joined The Doctor I began getting feelings, impressions I'd never had before, that's how I knew the memories were only hidden.

"It was probably because I'd entered a past version of The TARDIS, the trigger echoed back."

"If that's the case," The Doctor seemed to relax slowly and a smiled grew on his face, "Then that means you're bonded to her as a Pilot."

"And if she'd bonded as a pilot..." Romana's eyes brightened suddenly and she shared a look with Braxiatel, before she looked to The Wolf and her face shattered.

"Then you and I are everything I'd hoped we'd be," The Doctor breathed out in wonder and in a moment of pure elation he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her before spinning the both across the grand floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want you to know i absolutey love Romana but she is in a leadership position where she must make hard choices to maintain control for what she believes are much bigger issues.
> 
> That being said, i hope you understand why i wrote this the way i did.


	12. Gallifrey: Know Thyself

They were escorted into a small waiting room off the side of the President's Audience Chamber.

It was still overly decorated and ornate with art and antiques that demonstrated the wealth of history that Gallifrey possessed. Fortunately there was a small table with chairs that they could bide their time as a decision was made.

After the revelation of The Wolf's bond to The Doctor's TARDIS a full council session was called.

She wasn't stupid, The Wolf wasn't the brightest in her class but she also wasn't one of the Time Lords that were content to lounge at the bottom of the barrel. Perhaps when she was a child she would have considered herself as such but not now, not after everything she had been through.

That was why The Wolf was perfectly aware of the fact that the only reason President Romana had even allowed her questions was due to her friendship with The Doctor.

Perhaps the President also felt pity for her, to have been treated so poorly by their people even though she had met every requirement they'd set for her.

"I did not know the extent of the restrictions they had put on you," The Doctor spoke, his gaze on the door that led back to the Chamber where the Council was now convening,

"It was barbaric and no innocent deserves that kind of treatment. They shouldn't be convening! They should be apologizing and handing over the Galactic and Temporal Coordinates to the version of the TARDIS they found you with."

"Well just because I'm legally a Time Lady doesn't mean they actually see me as one," The Wolf replied almost sadly, as he turned to her,

"It's cruel, and it's unfair but it's why I ran. I did everything they asked and still they demanded I do more to be one of them."

The Time Lord seemed discontent with that,"Just because we understand their reasoning doesn't mean it's right.  
"It has always bothered me, that the society of our planet has been so violently against anything that they deem deviant."

"It's why you left I assume." She gave him a gentle smile and he frowned,

"Yes, but this is about you. Unlike me, you weren't even afforded the chance to choose your own employment, that tells me you weren't able to even guide your own course of study like all other Academy Cadets.

"You had no say when they engaged you, most Time Lords at least get to meet and determine if they can even tolerate each other."

He sighed and looked almost devastated, "You are a Time Lord and they treated you like a criminal, it was cruel and monstrous."

"Thank you." The Wolf choked back her her feelings but her eyes were burning, "Sometimes I would wonder if I truly had it so bad, I would think about those in Low Town and Mid Town and think they would call me spoiled and ungrateful."

The Doctor shook his head, "Even The Outsiders get to choose what they are going to do day to day, yes they are limited by society according to their birth but they still have so many choices to make.

"You don't even know why all this happened to you, and yet The Council still controlled your life without telling you anything, leaving you to assume the worst because what else was left with how they treated you?"

"And they're in there now," The Wolf had to fight not to sob, "Deciding if my Legal status, and the sponsorship of two Lords of Lungbarrow is really enough to let me find out why I am even here.

"Why I even exists like this."

The Doctor's hands flexed and then clenched into fists, "No matter what they decide, we'll find the TARDIS that holds the trigger for your memories. I promise."

The Wolf looked at him through now teary eyes, "I love you, I know it's a stupid thing to think at the moment but I can't help it!

"I keep thinking about how this all might end and I feel like I have to keep saying it ever chance I get or else I won't get to say it again."

It was irrational, there was no dominant Time Line telling her they would be separated forever, it was only a gut feeling and cold hard fear.

The Doctor stood from his place at the table and rounded it to face her. The Time Lord then kneeled before her taking her hands in his, he kissed them, "I love you too, I will always love you, and I think perhaps that every version of me would probably fall inadvisabley quickly for you.

"I believe that no matter what time line the universe had decided on, we would have found each other and loved each other."

He gazed up at her through his lashes and she had to lean down and kiss him, her mind pressed into his like dumping pigment into water. His mind pressed back as he held her tightly.

Love, fear, and, the resolution to move the universe should they be forcibly parted flowed freely.

The Wolf pulled away but pressed her forehead to his, maintaining the shallow but intimate empathic connection they shared.

To feel each other in such a way was like finding a safe place in a storm, with her fate being decided it was nice to not only have someone to provide such a place, but it was also a gently reminder that she was just the same to him.

It made her proud to remember that she was the one who could make him smile and laugh, and she wanted to be that for him for the ceaseless centuries that lay before them as Time Lords.

It was funny to be grateful, that she had become what she was just so they could have this.

They stayed that way, reassuring one another until Braxiatel entered the room from the Audience Chamber and exclaimed,

"Great Rassilon! Please."

Pulling apart gently so as not to cause a mental jolt the two turned to the Cardinal, The Wolf frowned at him and could feel a residual amount of displeasure at his arrival from The Doctor.

"You best have new Brax," The Doctor pulled back from The Wolf completely and stood, doing his best not to look as if they hadn't been caught in telepathic communion.

Braxiatel pulled a face that looked between disgust and amused resignation, "I'll leave the announcing to Lady Romana, but you two better not be so engaged when she arrives!

Then the Cardinals voice turned almost teasing, "Honestly Doctor! She's half a Millennia younger than you!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes but The Wolf felt pained at the reminder of why she had never hoped that he would care for her. As if sensing her thoughts The Doctor took her hand,

"The Wolf and I are both adults able to make our own choices, and besides that we have chosen to live parrallel to society and can marry whomever we please."

"Marry?!" Braxiatel was taken aback as if having caught them intimately engaged he'd only assumed they were fooling around.

Indignance swelled in The Wolf's chest, "Yes married! Not now but one day when we're ready!"

She then snorted, "Honestly, you act as if I've demanded The Doctor settle down! The two of us will be content to live in the TARDIS till the final death takes us I'm sure."

The affection that The Doctor's gaze held when it landed on her caused her hearts to swell with happiness that she'd caused him such joy.

"Of course this is all theoreticals." Cardinal Braxiatel reminded more himself than anyone else, "The fact is your from his future."

"And at this time he'll have to forget me." The Wolf finished his thought a bit petulantly, after all she'd been thinking this ever since they had met Jack,

"Then there is no guarantee version of him that aligns with me will be willing to continue a relationship he started who knows how many lives ago with a Time Lady that he has even more years on."

"I will." The Doctor replied before Braxiatel could, "For you I will."

The Wolf gave him an affectionate smile, because of course he would at the moment, but time changed people. Especially those who were not apposed to change such as them.

"Is there a reason you're here Cardinal?" The Wolf turned her gaze back to Braxiatel, "You said you wish Madam President give us the news, but you haven't said why you came here at all."

"Yes!" The Cardinal regained his own composure and shoved aside any opinions he had on the matter of their relationship, "I wished to say it was good to see you well,"

He then turned a critical gaze to The Doctor, "As well as you could manage at least, I know the human part of you is angry that I had wanted you to marry my grandson but I was only trying to help you gain freedom."

"I understand that you were trying to help," The Wolf began, weighing her words, she knew, she always knew that,

"I am more embittered by the fact that it was considered necessary even after I had completed my time at The Academy."

She was also a bit tiffed that he was accusing the 'Human' part of her for being responsible when it was mostly just the sensible part of her. But that was an argument for later.

Besides, he wasn't' apologizing, not properly, so The Wolf felt no real need to forgive him.

There was a bustling outside the waiting room and after a few moments they were opened by the two guards that had been posted outside.

President Romana entered like a breeze and turned her gaze upon the group that was assembled in the waiting room and smirked, "Really Cardinal? I was wondering where you had disappeared to."

"I was just saying my farewells to my one time ward." Braxiatel smiled and gave an almost grave nod, "I leave her in The Doctor's hands."

He looked to The Wolf, who gave him a tight smile, the Cardinal then gave a slight bow before making his exit.

"The Verdict?" The Wolf cast aside any pretenses within the confines of the small waiting room. It wasn't the formal Audience hall where she had to make a case in front of the President, not anymore.

"You are not to be given access to the Hypercube which contains the information you need." Romana seemed to be putting on a very brave face but her eyes betrayed that her heart was breaking,

"I wished to overrule them but the Council believed that as your proxy house it was internal matter with Prydon, Braxiatel was happy to decide but Cardinal Prime Borusa decided that he should choose and that was his decision."

An internal matter?! Oh they would refuse to allow the Council to touch it, if they thought she was important somehow they would do everything to minimize the case until it was nothing but a trivial blip in the eyes of every House.

The Wolf felt The Doctor's hands on her shoulders as the weight of those words fell on her.

"No." She lifted her eyes to Romana, suddenly she felt a rage like no other, "I refuse, I don't care what Cardinal Prime Borusa says! The importance of my case shouldn't be an issue at all!

"I should have been allowed to put in my request and have you make the decision at your discretion! Is not your word law?! Am I not an adult Citizen?!"

This was more of them treating her like she was nothing! She had always been nothing and she refused to let it end like this!

"That is not all." Romana's voice was tight, "You are to marry Irvengard or face exile to Earth for interference, you will be placed in the 1700's until the Cardinal Prime sees fit to liberate you, this is all of course after The Doctor forgets you."

"Irvengard is Braxiatels grandson, yes?" The Wolf asked, because who else could it be.

"Yes." Romana replied as calmly as she could, "I'm sorry."

It wasn't enough to be sorry, "You can't allow this. You can't just let them do this.

"You can't let them treat my case of missing memories like i'm simply an errant child whose run from home because she doesn't want to marry and then turn around and threaten Capitol Punishment should I refuse!"

They couldn't have it both ways! They couldn't treat this like it was nothing and everything!

"I am the President, and my word is law, but that is for issues of the State. Prydon has decided that is an issue in for their house and It would be inappropriate for me to interfere with something so inconsequential."

Roman replied, but there was a set to her Jaw as she turned to The Doctor, "Unless there is prior claim I cannot charge for change."

There was no prior claim-

None that they could recall.

The Wolf's hearts were beating loudly in her chest as The Doctor spoke as single word, "Romana."

He reached out a hand to her and his eyes were pleading, "Help her."

"There is a war coming, can't you feel it?" Romana pressed her lips together, "And The Wolf is something that the Council fears, those who kept her stable.. They were terrified...

"The Seers called her the future of all Gallifrey and I can't throw that away just because you have feelings for her, I have a duty to my people, to the universe."

The Wolf wanted to snarl, something told her, something deep inside old her she knew better than anything what it meant to sacrifice for the many. To stand up and make a choice for the sake of the universe.

There was suddenly a timeline before her, solid and gold, but desperate all the same. It had to be done and if it wasn't then there would be no future,

"So you, the Mighty President of Gallifrey are just going to let them have their way?" The Wolf seethed, "Since I was less than 2 decades old, you kept me as a prisoner for no reason at all. I told myself you didn't have a choice but you do. Right here right now and you're choosing to keep me imprisoned here."

"I cannot choose you over our entire race." Romana reasoned, but she looked like it cost everything to say, "You will be kept comfortable in Prydon with a husband who will no doubt give you the freedoms you deserve."

The Wolf could feel her icy cold rage building, "I don't care how comfortable I'm kept! I'm not some dog of war Prydon can keep hidden away to until the proper moment. I'm a Time Lady! A Renegade! So damn the Council!

"You can give The Doctor what he's asking for so I can return to where I belong, or he and I will escape here without it and keep running until I find the missing part of me.

"Those are the real choices, not what the Council has put before me and that's why the Cardinal was in here saying goodbye, he knew it too.

"I"m not going to sit back and let them keep controlling me! I ran once and I'll do it again because sitting here on Gallifrey isn't living, not really.

"And if I stay here then it will be the end of all things! Can't you see it? Can't you feel it?!"

"So please, give him the coordinates, you'll not have given them to me and what can the Prime Cardinal do in the face of Madam President's final decision."

Romana took a moment, then looked at The Doctor, "I can see why you love her."

"It's not the only reason," The Doctor smiled down at The Wolf and then turned his gaze back to Romana, "And you know she's right, this moment isn't exactly flexible, that's why your stalling.

"You're hoping something changes, that you can force her to stay but you know what you have to do Romana."

With that President Romana reached back to her old friend and touched their hands together.

Both called, "Contact."

And it was done.

"Thank you." The Wolf smiled at Romana, then hugged her, they were not friends, but this was the beginning to a mended path between them. Romana had done her best to be kind, and even if she had only helped because of the Time Lines surrounding this moment, it was enough.

Because her choice was not fixed, not nearly.

Romana returned the gesture, "See this as an apology, for not acting on your behalf sooner."

"I'll come back." The Wolf promised, "When I'm in my proper time, I'll comeback to see you."

"I'll be expecting you then." Romana did her best to smile back as The Doctor grabbed The Wolf's hand and they ran.

It wasn't long before those charged with retrieving The Wolf from the waiting room had found only the President sitting in silent thought.

She wondered what Romana had told them, the Time Lords in charge of removing The Wolf to Prydon so that she could begin the courting process with Irvengard.

Whatever it was it sounded the alarm, well the Cloisters.

As they ran hand in hand to escape the Citadel, The Wolf tossed her head back and began to laugh.

Not only was she a Renegade, but now she was also a wanted criminal! It was all so mad! There was nothing to laugh about though. If they were caught they would probably both be regenerated and exiled.

It was fortunate that The Doctor was born a more prominent figure and knew the best passageways.

She could hear Chancellery Guards rushing through the Citadel and calling out orders, all of them searching for the criminal, for her.

The duo ducked in and out of halls that were hidden from even a Time Lord's blind eye, as The Doctor led their escape. They remained mostly silent so as not to alert any Time Lords with especially good hearing.

After what seemed like an age, but according to her time sense was only about 15 minutes, they cleared the Citadel through a rather dusty and archaic passage.

As tempting as it was, The Wolf refused to feel relieved until they were off planet.

The Doctor continued to lead her towards the TARDIS, occasionally they would duck behind pillars and shrubbery so as not to be seen by the Guards who were searching the outside.

Finally they reached the TARDIS but it was still not time to celebrate, not even as they swung the doors opened and raced to the console.

The TARDIS gave a mournful note as The Doctor almost panicked, "We have to clear the time field or they'll keep us here."

"I KNOW!" The Wolf called back as she began flipping switches and snagging knobs in an attempt to get them into the Vortex as quickly as possible.

The TARDIS' monitor fuzzed and suddenly it was filled with the face of Cardinal Prime Borusa,

"Doctor, don't do this. Do not throw what little respectability you have left for a Lady you will have to forget. One that is not even half a millennia old."

"I think you overestimate the value I place on the respect of Prydon and The High Council." The Doctor gave a sarcastic purse of his lips as he slammed the dematerialization lever down,

"And you also underestimate how much I care for her."

There was a mighty rumble as the Council no doubt tried to keep them grounded, but the two Time Lords managed to break free of the hold and launched the TARDIS into the Vortex.

"YES!" The Wolf threw her arms in the air as The Doctor came flying towards her, they met one another in a mighty and victorious embrace, both shouting out in victory at their escape.

It didn't last long though as the TARDIS' song remained half mournful and half joyous.

They parted and The Wolf huffed out a half laugh and half sob, "It's time then, they'll keep chasing you so long as I'm with you."

"It's time." The Doctor agreed, remorse clear in his eyes, "But we'll see one another again."

The Time Lord began punching in the coordinates he had attained from his contact with Romana and gave an optimistic smile,

"I doubt any version of me would be willing to part with you and the TARDIS for so long."

The Wolf returned his expression and began helping him pilot her to the place where her missing pieces were.

It was almost a solemn joy as they shuddered to a stop and they mad their way hand in hand out of the ship. Both Time Lords slowly meandered down the ramp and opened the doors almost lazily.

Finally as the stepped foot out of the TARDIS they found themselves on Earth, Britain, 21st century by the look of things. The Wolf looked around and let out a laugh as she caught sight of the Future version of the TARDIS down the road.

Turning to The Doctor she felt an overwhelming rush of emotions, "We made it."

"Right time and everything." The Doctor agreed teasingly and it was all she could do to keep from crying. The Wolf hugged him.

"I Don't want you to go." The Doctor repeated the words from before, "But you deserve to know."

"It's not goodbye." The Wolf declared from her place in his arms, "It's just 'see you later'."

"We'll meet again." The Doctor agreed and she couldn't help it,

"Don't know where, don't know when...."

He laughed, a sad watery thing, then he kissed her.

Then he let her go.


	13. Gallifrey: Running Home To You [Epilogue]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is the last chapter and passing glance at the life The Wolf lived before she was taken to Gallifrey 
> 
> I really hope you who read this enjoyed the ride! And i might do some more with this universe... even if its just a couple one shots ore something

Slowly The Wolf did the hardest thing she could ever remember doing, she turned her back on him and walked towards the Present.

As she made her way down the street The Wolf could hear The Doctor's TARDIS dematerialize, of course, it was fine if he wanted to run and take the cowards way. She loved him anyways. Finally she reached the version of the TARDIS which she belonged in.

Everything was happening so fast but this was it.

She ran a hand against the TARDIS' beautiful blue door and felt the ship hum longingly just before, without a key, the doors popped opened.

The Wolf took a breath an walked inside towards her past and future.

All at once she crossed the threshold of the most magnificent ship she'd ever met, and a flood of memories hit her.

Falling to her knees on the grating of the TARDIS, surrounded by her organic corral structure, The Wolf wept bitterly.

The Wolf continued to weep freely as memory after memory came back to her. It was apparent now more than ever how important those two years had been in the course of her 350 years of life...

Because for the first 19 years of Rose Tyler's life nothing happened, not ever.

But then, one day, during her standstill life, at her dead end job, the most magnificently imperfect Time Lord took her hand and said only one word.

Run.

And they ran across the stars. They fell in love.

To the end of the Earth. Meeting Dickens with the ghost like Gelth. Slitheen in 10 Downing, which they blew up! A Dalek in Utah. Past the wrongness of Satellite 5. Through the Blitz where they met Jack! Jack her dear friend.

All the way to the Slitheen once more, then it happened.

She became the girl who wasn't a girl but the Bad Wolf. She had created herself.

And The Doctor changed, but she changed too didn't she?

Rose Tyler was transforming into something new, The Wolf knew what she was now but Rose didn't'.

But The Doctor promised she would be OK, it was slow, and she was.

The TARDIS said that Rose Tyler was turning into more of a Time Lord than a Human and so to deal with her new senses they began her education. Every bit of those lessons that took place with The Doctor in the library she studied as a Cadet in the Academy. But what was more endearing were the lessons they had on the run.

The first with a werewolf that was chasing them through an estate with Queen Victoria.

"Rose c'mere" The Doctor motioned with his hand, he was in a pinstripe suit with flyaway brown hair, "Lick this door."

"I am not licking the door." Rose had frowned in disgust but he rolled his eyes.

"Sniff it at least!" He insisted so she did and suddenly she knew,

"It smells like mistletoe? Was it rubbed into the door somehow?"

"Exactly! Brilliant Rose Tyler!" He cheered and spun her around as he had when he was still all curly hair and Edwardian suites.

Then there was that school with the Krillitans where he'd made her be a dinner lady but had warned her, "Now Rose, I don't want you eating the food. If I'm right there may be something they're putting in it that's messing with the Children's heads and we don't need your development altered by whatever it is."

She had agreed and he had been right. It was Krillitain oil. K-9 had told them that after The Doctor had walked her through repairing the Robot dog as Sarah Jane looked on in confusion, sadness.

Sarah Jane was brilliant, had given Rose her number.

Mickey came along then and The Doctor confessed he'd invited him once when he was in his previous form.

The first trip Mickey went on was the 51 century ship, Reinette. The poor woman tortured by robots her whole life.

The Doctor took Rose's hand and for the first time they were both leading on the case.  
He'd had to save her, Reinette, and there was so little time and so The Doctor mounted that horse and reached out a hand to Rose.

Rose reached back they made contact for the first time. Then she knew exactly where he'd be.

"I have to go!" The Doctor pleaded for her to understand and Rose smiled back determined and declared, "I'm coming to get you Doctor."

The moment he was through the window they were no longer attached to the events, Rose could feel it. So she'd grabbed Mickey and dragged him into the TARDIS.

For the first time Rose piloted the TARDIS on her own since BAD WOLF, which had Mickey gaping.

That night The Doctor kissed her for the first time and named her Epsilon Nu. A Time Cadet's designation for a blooming Time Lady.

It was a name she could take or leave but he had given it to her. Her title would be chosen when she finished her education.

Mickey did not want to called her that, but it was vitally important her name be kept secret now, so it was either he call her Epsilon Nu or leave. He of course adapted.

They ran and ran and ended up in a parallel world where Pete Tyler lived but she didn't.

"I don't exists." Epsilon Nu said, she didn't quite know how to feel about it all but The Doctor took her hand and gave a comforting smile,

"I have a theory, you see there are no parallel Time Lords" The Doctor explained, "I think that maybe you didn't just change yourself, but you truly created yourself, only one Epsilon Nu in all the multiverse."

His voice was full of wonder and love, so she kissed him.

Mickey left, with Pete Tyler that wasn't her Dad and The Doctor asked her to marry him under the Tripled suns of Alabaster and instead of a ring he gave her a sonic screwdriver.

What else could she say but yes?

"Lick this." The Doctor demanded after she'd dragged him and the Police to Magpie electric.

A creature was stealing faces through televisions and only her developing telepathy and her engagement sonic saved her.

"Why do you keep asking me to lick things?" Epsilon Nu was being rather petulant but it was a disgusting request.

"You need to develop your ability to isolate and identify compounds with your taste buds." The Doctor was more exasperated than anything.

"We could do that with smoothies,personally, I think you have a fixation." Epsilon Nu replied cheekily and The Doctor had a hard time not laughing in the face of such a reply when so many people's faces were at stake.

He bought her a proper ring then, the stone was blue like the beautiful ship which they lived in, and they formed preliminary bond so that no matter how far apart the could be together.

When they found themselves on an impossible planet, the TARDIS lost, he'd turned to her and ordered,

"Shield up, mind like a steel trap Epsilon, whatever is influencing the Ood may try to get inside our heads too"

"Right," Epsilon tried her best to keep it light, "That's not horrifying at all."

Throughout the whole time they were on that sanctuary base, she could feel something just outside her shields, not strong enough to enter.

Then when they were separated she was thankful for the preliminary bond, so that while her shields were on lock down she could still feel her backdoor to The Doctor.

They beat it, it said she would die and they beat it. She tried to believed that The Doctor was right, that it was lying.

"If you want to help your mum with her problematic male friend your going to have to tell her" The Doctor declared after Jackie had called about her new friend Elton that was after The Doctor and Epsilon.

"That we're engaged and your in my head or that I'm gonna be a Time Lady but I'm still cooking? Or that my name is Epsilon Nu now?" Epsilon joked but it was really something she didn't' want to deal with.

"Preferably all three." The Doctor gave a serious look and really he was asking for a kiss.

They helped Jackie and told her one of the three things, Epsilon's Mom was having a fit trying to figure out how to plan an alien wedding.

They were supposed to be going to the Olympics but there were children going missing.

"You taste that?!" The Doctor exclaimed and Epsilon stuck her tongue out into the air.

"It's like metal! OOHH!" She began bouncing, "Hold on! Hold ON! It's a-"

She snapped her fingers, "It's a teleport exchange but my hairs standing on end so...."

Her mind searched and she remembered that dusty old tome The Doctor had her read 4 times, "Its a huge power exchange and its gotta be something we can trace!"

"RIGHT BRILLIANT YOU ARE EPSILON NU!" The Time Lord exclaimed, his joy reverberating over the bond as he kissed her forehead and pressed their minds together.

After that they were going to tell her Mother.

But then came the ghosts.

The war and Torchwood.

Her Mother left, to go be with Pete Tyler that wasn't her Dad and suddenly it was just them set to send the Daleks and Cybermen to Hell.

Only The Doctor's lever went offline and in his attempt to fix it, he fell.

He fell and they both screamed out reaching for each other desperately when Pete caught him. Probably just in case Epsilon needed him, but no it was The Doctor Pete Tyler saved that day.

Epsilon dug through tomes upon tomes in the library to get him back in the end she could only say goodbye as he stood on BAD WOLF bay in a parallel Norway.

"You can imagine what I had to do just to say goodbye." She'd sobbed, it was her greatest feat of engineering and he hadn't been there to help, he hadn't been there to hold her hand.

"I imagine your burning up a sun." The Doctor replied, he sounded as if the world was ending and it was.

  
"I can't do it alone! Please! I can't! We've barely scratched the surface!" Epsilon cried and she would be crying until it was over.

"You're the last of the Time Lords now, in that universe at least." He'd tried to make her laugh but it just reminded her that they would forever be apart, their preliminary bond faded to nothing but a loose end with nothing to grasp onto.

He didn't get to say it, that he loved her. They were supposed to have centuries to do this weren't they?

Then there was Donna Noble.

The Runaway Bride with Huons, Epsilon had made so many mistakes, she had never led a mission alone. She didn't feel ready but Donna was brilliant and made it all so much easier.

But the Huons set off her delicate changes, they accelerated her development and Epsilon was burning up she was dying and The Doctor would never know-

Except she was stronger than that, she wasn't going to go down without a fight. The TARDIS heard her pleas and provided a Hypercube.

The only thing she had the strength to send was her location and name.

Epsilon was burning up on the grating of the TARDIS floor until suddenly she wasn't.

Then it all ended, or rather it started.

She was The Wolf, a 350 year old Time Lady and she was the last.

In this universe at least.


End file.
